Of the Kentucky Derby, a J Peterman Hat, Audrey Hepburn, and a Literary Horse or Two

If you Google “Miss Cavendish,” you will find that she writes a blog, lit up the British actors’ stage in the 1870s, and is a thoroughbred horse.

Miss Cavendish the horse has, apparently, not yet raced, but with kin like Lady Audley and Madame Eglentine (Chaucer's Prioresse), she’s in fine literary company. And who needs to race when you have such a scandalously bookish heritage? You’re racy enough.

However, if she did race, she might look to the Kentucky Derby (which was run today). And even if she didn’t race there, perhaps she would enjoy looking at all the festive hats in the crowd.

After all, the literary counterpart to horsey Miss C’s equine relative Madame Eglentine wore her wimple well.

In honor of today's Kentucky Derby, the blogger Miss C was thinking about hats, and climbed a tiny ladder to reach up, up into the recesses of her tall closet to locate a very large box from the J. Peterman Company, which contained one very appropriate hat for the Derby.

I (back to first-person narrator—whew!—) bought it in the early 90s, when, smitten by all things Audrey Hepburn, couldn’t resist this simple hat with the strong Audrey-esque lines.

Indeed, it was even named the Audrey Hepburn hat (I found my sales receipt in the box—along with a long-lost belt!!) and I adored it. It looks like a collaboration among the three Audrey hats pictured here.

It’s a golden wheat-colored straw hat. There’s a wide navy grosgrain ribbon (as in the wide-brimmed black hat) with a bow, but the brim is smaller than in that photo.

The shape reminds me of the two other straw hats pictured here and above. Like these, my brim curves down ever so gently, shielding one’s eyes from the paparazzi or the Capri sunshine.

Tomorrow, if the weather cooperates, I will attempt a photo of said chapeau. In the meantime, you may enjoy this photo of a horse in a pretty spring straw hat.

This image depicts, of course, neither Miss Cavendish the equine, nor Miss C the blogger, but I do think that she represents us well.


**Photo from Corbis