Although they admit they act wild at times, and say they are members of a "disorganization," these are lovely local women who like to dress up and go to brunch, or the movies, or the theatre.

What they will never be is boring, or, as Mildred Wilke puts it "invisible."

"It's the bad girls who are remembered, don't you know," Arlene Yaceyko (also known as Queen of the Universe) said at one point, seated at a table at the Explorer Hotel on Sunday.

These Divas of the North, as they are known, want to stand out in a crowd. So they don elaborate red hats (pink if you are under the age of 50), purple dresses, various styles of beads and pearls, fur wraps, high-heeled shoes and sparkly earrings.

It works. Men stop and throw compliments their way. They recall being ogled while playing croquet once, and cherish the memory.

When these divas meet, about once a month, anything goes. They talk about their jobs, auditioning for a speaking part in the Vagina Monologues (a play being produced locally) and ideas for future get-togethers.

They discuss how long they've been married, travelling, addiction to eBay (a popular online shopping destination for new hats) and fashion, all under the rosy glow of their hats.

Theirs is a small chapter of the Red Hats Society, a club started in the United States that currently boasts about 6,000 chapters worldwide. There is no president, secretary or treasurer. The group only meets for strictly light-hearted matters.

The poem "When I am old," by Jenny Joseph, which contains the lines, "I shall wear purple with a red hat that doesn't go," is their unofficial motto.

"It's fun and frolic," said Johanne Denault. "We need that in Yellowknife."