Deanna Colaizzi is just not that type of woman.  No offense, but she could not imagine herself as a "Red Hatter" – part of the Red Hat Society, a nationwide women’s social organization whose members don red hats and purple clothing for public outings.  Still, as a newcomer to Utah, Colaizzi longed to meet other women. She found the Blue Thong Society – and a perfect fit.

It just spoke to my spirit," she said. "We’re all women who were part of a cause, the ’60s generation. We were the ones out burning bras and fighting for equal rights. We’re kind of doers." 
   
Founded in 2006, the Blue Thong Society is styled as a hipper friendship network for Baby Boom and Gen X women who want to connect, have fun and do good works. 
   
The society was started by four ”quintessential beach chicks” in Southern California: Mary Jo Wallo, Jackie Tushinsky, Mary Ellen Wiegand and Kelley Golden. 
   
When Wallo turned 50, she received Red Hat merchandise as a gift – which drew some laughs and a polite thanks, but no thanks. 
   
Then someone made a comment that stuck: Wallo was more red thong than red hat. 
   
"We laughed about it for a long time," Tushinsky said. "Nothing against the red hats, but no way. They’re a great group of gals, but it wasn’t for us."
The women, like a lot of Baby Boomers, expected to stay "hip, chic and fabulous" as they hit midlife and wanted a social organization to match. So they invented one. 
   
They took that thong image – a blend of the panty and the footwear, which symbolized their view of themselves – and settled on blue as their identifying color. 
   
They came up with a catch phrase – Fight frump! – and a signature drink, the Blue Martini. And they decided each chapter would be required to support a neighborhood charity, something that sets the Blue Thong Society apart from the Red Hatters. 
   
The founders realized they were on to something when 125 women signed up for the first Blue Thong Society event and 250 people showed up. 
   
Since then, the society has spread from Southern California to 29 other states. Tushinsky said the organization, which charges yearly dues of $30, has about 4,000 members. Most range in age from late 30s to early 60s. 
   
"Women are having a blast," said Tushinsky, who recently moved to Florida. "It seems like there was a need." 
   
Sue Ellen Cooper had the same thought when she formed the Red Hat Society in 1998. It now has approximately 40,000 chapters worldwide, including about 50 in Utah. To join, a woman must be at least 50 and want, as Cooper says on her Web site, to "greet middle age with verve, humor and élan." 
   
The Red Hat Society is so popular it has spawned clothing, jewelry, home knickknacks, an official day (April 25), a theme song and a musical: "HATS! The Musical For The Rest of Your Life," which premiered last October in Denver and is now touring the country. 
   
But the upstart Blue Thong Society illustrates the diversity within the Baby Boom, which spans the 20 years between 1946 and 1964. Those at the leading edge and the tail end of the boom don’t necessarily see themselves as part of a cohesive group with a shared generational history – or mind-set. 
   
"The women we’re going after . . . look a lot different, have a different attitude," Tushinsky said. 
   
After years occupied with children and careers, many women want to nurture friendships, Tushinsky said, and Blue Thong gives them a way to connect. 
   
The potential audience is huge. Utah’s Baby Boomer ranks include 254,145 women; the Gen Xers add another 274,155 women. 
   
But in Utah, the Blue Thong Society is a fledgling movement. There are chapters in Logan, Park City and Salt Lake City, all started within the past seven months. 
   
"These gals seemed into a good cause and having a good time," said Cathy Sneyd, a real estate broker and founder of the Salt Lake chapter. 
   
Sneyd’s group, which has about 10 thongers, chose the YWCA’s mother and baby cupboard as its designated charity. 
   
"All of us know how fortunate we are and how important it is to give back and this is a way of giving back to people who need assistance," Sneyd said. 
   
That appealed to Colaizzi, too. The BTs of PC, as the chapter is called, draws eight to 15 women each month from Park City and Salt Lake City for a potluck dinner and Blue Martinis. The BTs of PC also meet for social outings, such as hikes and plays. The chapter is still debating a charity to support. 
   
"We’re just all about fun," said Colaizzi, who is 60ish – which is the new 40, she points out. "We’re not going to stop wearing blue jeans and bell bottoms, even though they are out of style. We are our own person, we say what we think and we are over a lot of that tiptoeing around. We’re confident women who like to sit around and enjoy each other. 
   
"One month you didn’t know anybody and the next you have all these crazy friends," she said. "It’s like a sisterhood."

Via: Salt Lake Tribune