All Eyes on Aretha's Hat

When Aretha Franklin took the stage at the inauguration, T.V. audiences heard My Country ’Tis of Thee, over shots of rolling mountainsides, the slow-mo flag, the deep canyons of the American West, and then—that hat! Millions of Americans couldn’t take their eyes off that large, rhinestone bow affixed to the Queen of Soul’s forehead. And clearly, they liked what they saw. Luke Song, the designer, says he’s been bombarded with requests for the $500 hat. “They want the same hat, but they understand, it’s for the ‘Queen’ only,” he said.