Marco Island Woman’s Club Celebrates Hats to Di For

Hideaway Beach Club was the place to be in September as the Marco Island Woman’s Club (MIWC) celebrated Hats to Di For, a special event and presentation by professional milliner Diane Shagott. The luncheon, hosted by MIWC member Catherine Thomas, was a kickoff to MIWC’s 60th anniversary Diamond Jubilee year. We are getting ready to honor our MIWC members, past and present, with an incredibly special High Tea gala and hats galore!

Milliner Diane Shagott is a creative force of energy in the world of hats! Perhaps her love of hats stems from her early years in Louisville, KY, and the flamboyant influence of the Kentucky Derby. She is an artist of style who frequently calls upon her engineering background to create and perfectly construct her visions of fashion designed to adorn our heads. She shared her abundance of knowledge of just how to wear that fancy chapeau to enhance your special occasion attire. To which side should you tilt that lovely fascinator? To the side that would hide the part of your hair, of course! Do you know what the universal color-matching system Pantone 2026 Color of the Year is? Diane does! It is Cloud Dancer, an ethereal billowy shade of white that has been proudly worn by Melania Trump and Queen Camilla! Diane Shagott’s fashion savvy is superb. We were all stylishly impressed!

MIWC is a club where our members wear many hats! Our motto says it all: “Why you were born and why you are living depends on what you are getting out of this world, and what you are giving.” We are a dynamic group of volunteers and philanthropists with a focus of giving back to our community through scholarships and contributions to a diverse collection of charitable causes. MIWC was founded in 1966 by a group of sixteen women. Our earliest accomplishments included the founding of our library, funding of the gazebo at the Historical Museum, initiating the movement for the beautification of our island, establishing a youth center which became the present YMCA, restoring the Marco Island Historical Cemetery, and supporting NCH. Today we have more than 150 members! We continue to support all of these original causes in many capacities, along with many others, including Meals of Hope, Marco Island Academy, MI Center for the Arts, MI Dementia Respite, Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, American Cancer Society, Little Pink Houses of Hope, Camp Able, The Shelter for Abused Women and Children, Avow, Marco Island Youth Baseball, City of Marco Island Beach Cleanup, Laces of Love, and Habitat for Humanity.

Our most important project is our focus on education for high school students living on Marco Island who are looking to attend college or accredited vocation schools. They are our future, and the future looks bright! Since 1989, MIWC has awarded more than $945,000 in scholarships, empowering more than 270 deserving students.

We also have fun while learning all that we can about this amazing island that we call home. Our upcoming programs include A Diamond Tribute to Strength and Survival with ACS, Neighbors Helping Neighbors with St. Matthew’s House, Brain Health with the Alzheimer’s Association, Sharing Your Legacy, and Timeless Treasures Through History with MIWC Past President Barbara Malta. Our High Tea 60th Anniversary Founder’s Day Celebration will take place in November, and our annual Fashion Show Fundraiser, Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, is set for February 22, 2027. Our special interest groups include a stitching club, cards and games, book clubs, a theater group, and even a travel club.

Membership in this amazing club is available to all women who live on Marco Island or Goodland. Sponsorship and legacy opportunities are available for all who would like to be a part of our movement to serve our community in the spirit of goodwill and friendship! For more information, please visit https://marcowomansclub.com.