NEW HAT STORE OPENS IN TYLER TEXAS

Not only are more people wearing hats, but the bravest of them all are taking the retail leap. Brenda Johnson-Beedles of Tyler, Texas launched a hat business because she believes that “a good hat can make a woman look like a million bucks.”

"I love hats, I adore hats. They give you a certain look," said Mrs. Beedles. "My mom loved hats, truly loved them, so I guess I got it from her. People call me the hat lady because I have so many hats.”

“Some people say hats have come back, but I don't think they ever went out of style,” she said. Mrs. Beedles is betting that hats can fit comfortably into today's casual lifestyles.

Her hat shop BJ’s Impressions is at 1716 N. Forest in Tyler, Texas. The shop has casual and special occasion headwear (including her own styles). They feature beads, feathers, sequins or custom stitching.

"I learned to make hats and learned to embellish them. No matter how plain, you can embellish it and make it special," said Ms. Beedles.

Customer Reabie Williams said she never leaves home without a hat. She's worn them for about 25 years and has allocated an entire closet to her ever-expanding collection. "Hats, hats, hats, I love any type of hat," she said. "I wear them to the grocery store and even out in the yard. Hats make me feel like royalty, like a queen.”

Beedles has fond memories of headwear that transcends time. "I have one hat of my mom's that I wear one time a year, normally the first Sunday in fall," she said. "It's taupe and black. It never goes out of style. And when I wear it, I always think of her."

There will be a show on May 3rd at the Tyler Senior Center benefiting the People's Baptist Church.