Wearable Tracy

The most amazing things happen for me when I attend Ayse Birsel’s Design The Life You Love Virtual Teas. 

Most recently, I met Lee Kim in a breakout group and she was wearing a magical hat made out of pipe cleaners.  When my turn to give input to the question we were given to discuss.  I asked for a story about the hat she was wearing which had nothing to do with the theme of our breakout group.

 
 

Facebook has given everyone the gift of being appreciated and celebrated on their birthday. 

Lee Kim noted via Facebook that it was her friend, Tracy’s birthday and she had not sent her a gift or a card.  She wanted to do something special and creative.  Creative because they met at the University of Wisconsin Design Thinking workshop and maintained their friendship.  She went to the Dollar Tree Store and bought some pipe cleaners. 

 
pipe cleaners tracy wearable cynthia oredugba
 


That idea alone would have stopped me.

 

She decided to design a whimsical birthday hat.  When she finished she took a selfie and sent it to her friend Tracy. This became a project that developed legs of its own and became not only a creative expression but also a social experiment

She had planned to do it for one year and it has now been 4 years.  

There are rules created by Lee Kim when wearing your Tracy hat.  She has actually named them Wearable Tracy. 

Wearable Tracy Hat Rules:

  1. If someone asked you about the hat, you must get their name and share yours. 

  2. Secondly. you must wear the hat in situations where you might feel uncomfortable. 

Wearing TRACY HAT IN LA:

I recently wore my Wearable Tracy to dinner one night at a chic Los Angeles west side restaurant.  I walked into the restaurant knowing that I was sporting a crown. I walked by the first table in the restaurant and was stopped by a woman at the table.  She commented on my hat and I asked her name and shared mine.  I told her the hat had a story and shared it with her. 

 
 

At the end of the evening, she came over to my table and asked to put the hat on because that day was her birthday.  I thought about giving her my hat but I knew I had more lives to touch.

The New Yorker magazine wrote an excellent article and also distributed a documentary that filmmaker/friend Emily McAllister made.

There are so many ways to find your voice and Lee Kim has found hers with Wearable Tracy.  Thank you Lee I have so much fun wearing my hat and connecting with the most interesting people.