visual artist ~ hat maker
Enter a room wearing a hat and you'll be the center of attention.
The experience of wearing a hat is second only to having one custom designed for you.
Hats shown are available to purchase upon request.
In 2003 I made a promise to my dying mother, which eventually led to launching a business making hats for women experiencing hair loss.
Fourteen years later I transformed my part-time sculpture practice into a full-time enterprise making apparel with purpose.
I design and handcraft hats to lift the spirits of women to celebrate their beauty beyond hair. Most hair loss hats are subdued. My designs are bold, they signal courage and radiate joy.
See my full line of custom made-to-order beret at my Esty Shop Jodie Bailey Hats
In 2001 I read "The Language of Clothes," by Alison Lurie. It made me.
A hat is a sign, worn where it simply can't be missed.
In the process of being sold goods, we are also being sold an image of desirability. From fashion magazines, to retail display, to toy merchandising, the chain of messages in advertising culture forms the social constructs of identity, beauty and femininity. The Emmy award winning video of my public art installation, Under Construction - The Silent Sellers, documents the inspiration and process.
Concept, construction and installation by Jodie Bailey
Photograph by Polina Osherov
Model; Lindsey Davidson Abbott
Video by Mike Knight, Arts Council of Indianapolis
My first self-portrait was made as a way of coping. Later, in art school I was assigned so many self-portrait projects I thought I would go mad. Each piece has been a form of art therapy, no doubt documenting my sense of self in place and time.