Sept. 14, 1957

Los Angeles

Motorcycle Officer W.W. Wilhelm decided to put some teeth in fashion
law and cited motorist Louise Squire for wearing a plastic mesh basket
on her head. When stopped at Argyle and Franklin Avenues, Squire, of 8531 Wonderland Ave., insisted that whatever a woman has on her head is a hat.

Although it was unclear whether the basket interfered with Squire’s
vision, as Wilhelm said, it was apparently distracting other drivers
and therefore impeding traffic.

Maybe I’ve lived in Los Angeles too long and become inured to the
Hollywood eccentrics but look at her picture. Is her hat really all
that terrible? A little unusual, perhaps, but the upturned brim makes
it a bit sporty–for a plastic basket. As all Angelenos know, real nuts
wrap their heads in tinfoil.

A search through the clips reveals that Squire had novel ideas about
millinery. She once appeared in court wearing a hat made from a
potholder and another time attended a hearing with her head bound in a
turban of belting fabric.

Unfortunately, The Times failed to ask her about where she found the
inspiration for her finery. And after a few run-ins with the police,
she vanished from the public record.

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