The Story Behind Fenty's Fedora
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, January 4, 2007; Page DZ02
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty(D) put on a figurative new hat this week when he was sworn in as mayor. Increasingly, though, Fenty is becoming known for the black fedora he wears as a complement to his black overcoat.
Quizzed about the hat recently, Fenty said it was a Christmas present from his staff in 2004, though he added that it was a replacement for two similar ones he used to wear. The brand is Country Gentlemen, whose Web site touts the slogan: "Defining casual elegance."
The fedora generally gives the youthful Fenty, 36, a more mature look, and it seems like a throwback symbol for a guy who ran his campaign on bringing new ideas and a forward-looking outlook to the mayor's office. The hat has elicited much gossip among the city's chattering class. Some say the fit is too big, but Fenty said, "Seems like a good fit to me."
"You've got to have a hat in winter to keep your head warm, and not just because I'm bald. A lot of guys with hair wear hats, too," Fenty said. "You've got to have a hat, and this seemed like the most professional to me. It's the one that works best with a suit."
It was pointed out to Fenty that another black-fedora-wearing Washingtonian was disgraced lobbyistJack Abramoff.
"Come on!" Fenty said. "You can do better than that."
Remembering Gerald Ford
Even though it was their day to begin their new terms, several members of the D.C. Council attended PresidentGerald R. Ford's funeral Tuesday as they reflected on the life of a man who played a key role at a troubled time in political history.
"This is a man who led the country at a very difficult time," D.C. Council ChairmanVincent C. Gray(D) said as he walked into the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday. "He was never elected to the position, but he served with distinction."
Council memberMarion Barry(D-Ward 8) was a member of the council when Ford was in office. Barry said he initially was critical of Ford's decision to pardonRichard M.Nixonin an effort to bring the Watergate scandal to a close. "I disagreed with him at the time about Nixon, but now I think he was right. [Prosecuting Nixon] would have torn the country up," Barry said.
Council membersCarol Schwartz(R-At Large),Phil Mendelson(D-At Large),David A. Catania(I-At Large) andMary M. Cheh(D-Ward 3) were seen at the funeral. Former council membersKathy Patterson,Vincent B. Orange Sr.andSandy Allenwere also there.
Schwartz remembered Ford for another reason. "He appointed me to the vice chair to the National Advisory Council for Disadvantaged Children back in 1974," she said.
Mayor, Council Members Sworn In
On the same day the council members attended the funeral, relatives and friends joined Gray, Cheh, Catania, Mendelson,Harry "Tommy" Thomas Jr.(D-Ward 5),Jim Graham(D-Ward 1) and Fenty as they were sworn in beginning at 8:25 a.m. at the U.S. Court of Appeals.
