ST PAUL, Minnesota — In her Lowertown studio, Angie Sandifer is surrounded by hats.
"There's something about hats. I think it takes you to a different consciousness. People when they get dressed up, they stand a little taller, speak a little clearer," Sandifer said.
Sandifer is a milliner. If you've ever seen the hats and fascinators worn by people at the Kentucky Derby or a royal wedding, that's Sandifer's specialty.
"I got in it totally by accident. I would've never thought I'd be making hats. I worked in the telecommunications industry and was part of a downsizing. I was on the staff and so they gave us retraining dollars," said Sandifer, who used some of that money to learn from a milliner in North Carolina.
She then launched Angie's Hats in 2006.
Customers need an appointment to come in for a fitting. They choose what they want their hat to look like and then Sandifer starts the process, first using wood blocks to shape the hat.
"My mother and my grandmother, they wore hats. Church hats... It was the hat, the gloves, the purse, the shoes... everything matched. So the inspiration does come from that era when my grandmother and my mother wore hats to church," Sandifer said.
Sandifer said she sells the majority of her hats during Kentucky Derby season.
"The hat business itself is cyclical," she said.
For Black History Month, Sandifer created some hats for a photo shoot called "Celebrating Black History Month in Style."
"I wanted to do something elegant," Sandifer said.
She went on to say, "Of course the crown, the whole idea of black women wearing a crown, the idea behind it just makes you feel special."
Sandifer said she loves the creative process behind making a custom hat.
"It is a passion of mine. I never thought I would find my passion but I did," she said.
Those interested in Angie's Hats, should call 651-208-4442 or email angie@angieshats.com to schedule an appointment.
With the Kentucky Derby coming up in May, Sandifer said it is best to book two to three weeks in advance.