3rd Annual Beaufort History Museum Tea: Crowning Glory -- Celebrating the Role of Women’s Hats in Southern Culture

Advance Reservations for the Tea are required (reservations will not be available at the door the day of the event). The deadline for making reservations is Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Please note that the Tea has sold out in prior years before the deadline, so making your reservations early is strongly advised!

Please click here to read the event reservation details before making a reservation!  Thank you.

The Beaufort History Museum’s Third Annual Spring Tea is titled “Crowning Glory – Celebrating the Role of Women’s Hats in Southern Culture”. Patrons are invited to wear their favorite hat and to “Strut their Hattitude” as they savor delicious traditional delicacies, sip tea, learn about the fascinating allure of fashionable hats from celebrity speakers, enjoy a Parade of Hats and bid at a silent auction featuring trips, dinners and other attractive items.

“Hats are really the stars this year,” says BHM Board President Carol Lauvray.

“We’ll take a look back at how meaningful church hats were and are, especially in the African American community, where they held a special significance. We will also spotlight other occasions where hats play a key role, such as South Carolina’s legendary steeplechase thoroughbred horse races in Elloree, Aiken and Camden. Southern women just know how to dress for a party! We are encouraging everyone to wear a beautiful hat and join in the festive spirit of the Tea.”

For the first time the Museum is hosting a silent auction at the Tea to include trips, dinners, cooking classes, tastings, luxury services and other attractive items available for bidding. A preview of the auction items will be posted on the Museum’s website with a “Buy it Now” option. Guests will also be able to view the items, choose the ones they like and then bid with cash or credit cards at the event.

The principal speaker at the Tea is celebrity shoe designer and milliner Etu Evans, who will be coming to Beaufort from New York. His grandmother and mother, both of whom had extensive collections of church hats, jewels and shoes, influenced Evans’ path in the fashion industry.

An internationally prominent designer, he studied millinery at New York’s prestigious Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology where he graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Footwear and Accessory Design.

Evans’ hats have been sold in his Harlem boutique and worn across Europe and Japan and have been featured in various national television shows and publications. For a featured auction item he will offer one lucky bidder a consultation on the most flattering hat styles and correct size for the shape of her face and stature.

The famous Goorin Brothers Hat Company, founded in 1895, which has stores across the U.S. and in Canada with local shops in Savannah and Charleston, will also be a part of the program. Hats and accessories will be on view along with advice on how to choose the perfect hat.