Clementina “Tina” Caruso catches a lot of flak from women in Philly for her hair, which she’s dyed bright orange - her favorite color - for the last 30 years.
“I mean, they actually come up to me and say why don’t I act my age?” Caruso, 91, said. “But let me tell you - the men love it."
As a teen growing up in Yonkers, N.Y., Caruso used to worry about what others thought of her.
But now?
“Now I couldn’t care less,” she said. “I’m having a great time.” Known as the affable hostess at FRIEDA, a cafe and gathering place in Society Hill, Caruso was nominated for this series by a customer, noting her rotating collection of brooches, which now number 497.
“I wear one every day of my life,” Caruso said. “I have little stories with a lot of them.”
Caruso’s grandmother gave her the first one at 16, and her collection grew from there. Today, the brooches range from one made of soda can tabs to a Smithsonian replica of a brooch Prince Rainier III gave to Grace Kelly.