Church ladies clamor for a chapeau with a bow

Phyllis Gilliam's phone at Just Churchin' It Fashions started ringing on inauguration day and hasn't stopped since. Church ladies in St. Paul found out she had a replica of "the Aretha hat" and they just had to have it. Aretha Franklin's gray felt hat with the gigantic Swarovski-crystal-trimmed bow drew as much attention on Jan. 20 as her soulful rendition of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee."

Gilliam has sold more than 24 of the $130 hats, which mimic the style of Luke Song, a Detroit milliner who has designed hats for the Queen of Soul for more than 20 years.

"This has all been a blessing," said Gilliam, who has been struggling both with running a business in a poor economy and battling breast cancer.

Her shop is tucked away in a tiny strip mall in St. Paul, sandwiched between an Asian grocery store and a hair salon. Outside, the windows are dotted with Gilliam's inspirational notes: "This is the Day the Lord has Blessed," "Stay Positive."

Inside, bell-shaped hats covered in ribbons, bows and rhinestones spill from display hooks like so many colorful Skittles from a bag. Hats, dresses and suits encased in protective plastic swell from metal racks, leaving just enough room for one shopper to squeeze through at a time. Gilliam keeps mints and a small plaque etched with a blessing on the counter next to the register and the faux-jewel rings.

Andrea Webb, a pastor's wife in St. Paul, was among those who wanted a hat just like Franklin's.

"I love hats so much. It was an 'Oh my God' hat, you could just see the fanciness of it," said Webb, who always wears hats to church and other special occasions. "You know, this is how we grew up. Our grandparents, church mothers, our forefathers all dressed like this to church. It's a completion to an outfit."

Sally Connor, also of St. Paul, bought a similar hat about two years ago at Gilliam's store. Same color and adorned with rhinestones, but a smaller bow. "I was sitting and watching [Franklin] sing and I said, 'Oh, I got that hat! Aretha's got my hat on,' " she said with a laugh.

Gilliam's customers say that they plan to hang onto their Aretha Franklin-style hats as mementos of the day the first African-American became president of the United States. "This will be a great thing to tell my grandchildren about, to show them. It will be a reflection of that day," Webb said.

The big-bow hat is offered in a variety of colors for spring at Just Churchin' It, because Gilliam said she wants her customers to have a sense of uniqueness. "You don't want to worry about showing up to church looking like Sister Sally or Sister Jane," she said.

Gilliam is married to the Rev. Leo Gilliam of Bible Way Church in St. Paul. She has been in business since 2002, when she started up a consignment store with used clothing from her nine children as well as new hats, suits and dresses. She decided a year ago to sell only new goods and call her shop Just Churchin' It. Gilliam is working on designing a line of hats for women who are undergoing chemotherapy.

"As scripture says, 'Come as you are' -- and that could be with your hat cocked to the side and a nice outfit on," Gilliam said. "I feel a hat just really makes an outfit."

Karrah Anderson is a University of Minnesota journalism student on assignment for the Star Tribune.