Everyone Wants Aretha's Hat

Aretha Franklin’s inauguration hat has been mercilessly mocked by some, but lots of people want one of their very own. The Detroit millinery where Franklin has been a customer for 20 years has been flooded with calls for orders, the AP reports. But Aretha wannabes soon learn that the hand-molded $500 hat isn't for sale—it was custom-designed for her. Instead, customers can order a slightly different version for $179.

“They want the same hat, but they understand it's for the ‘Queen’ only. Ninety-nine percent said, ‘That's fine. I'll get the next best thing,’” said the store owner. “We always make hats for her for high-profile events, so for us, the inauguration really was no big deal.”
(More inauguration stories.)