Hollywood has a long-standing tradition of stars ‘borrowing’ mementos from their sets. Bryan Cranston famously took Walter White’s pork pie hat from ‘Breaking Bad,’ and Ariana Grande spirited away a pair of prosthetic ears from ‘Wicked.’ These playful acts highlight the sentimental value actors attach to their on-screen props.
Given this trend, one might naturally assume Mary Tyler Moore would have claimed ‘The Hat’ from the iconic opening of her 1970s sitcom, ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show.’ This moment, arguably the most celebrated freeze-frame in television history, captures Moore’s character, Mary Richards, in a burst of joy, tossing her distinctive tam-o’-shanter into the Minneapolis skyline. It’s an image of pure exuberance that has been parodied by shows like ‘Scrubs’ and ‘The Simpsons,’ and even cast in bronze where it originally took flight. Throughout the show’s seven evolving seasons, ‘The Hat’ remained an enduring and instantly recognizable symbol.
So, how did this treasured piece of television magic end up in her possession?
“It’s important to remember that she actually owned the production company,” her husband, S. Robert Levine, clarified with a gentle smile. “I suspect someone simply placed it in an envelope for her to keep.”
Understandably, as the namesake of MTM Enterprises, the company responsible for all 168 episodes of the show from 1970 to 1977, Moore didn’t need to sneak into the costume department to secure her piece of television history. Yet, she also didn’t display the woolen cap as a trophy or conversation starter; it wasn’t something she brought out for social gatherings.
An iconic still from ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ vividly shows Mary Richards, the associate producer at a Minneapolis TV station, mid-hat-toss, embodying a fresh wave of feminism for American viewers.
“It certainly wasn’t something we routinely brought out,” Dr. Levine chuckled. For years, the cherished hat remained tucked away in a file drawer in his wife’s office. “I only discovered it when I began going through all of her belongings,” he explained.
A photograph from 2011 captures Ms. Moore at 74, inside the Greenwich, Connecticut home she shared with her husband, elegantly surrounded by her personal style.
In the eight years following Moore’s passing at age 80, this process of sifting through her possessions has sometimes been by request, such as for the 2023 HBO documentary ‘Being Mary Tyler Moore,’ which saw Dr. Levine searching his basement for more personal items. Other times, he acknowledges, it’s been a part of the challenging task of charting a new path forward in life.
This past spring, he sold their sprawling Greenwich, Connecticut estate, where they had lived for 33 years, for a substantial sum. Prior to that, a June auction at Doyle featured 347 lots from the actress’s estate, notably including the iconic golden ‘M’ that adorned Mary Richards’ apartment wall on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show.’ This significant piece was acquired by Lena Waithe, producer of the HBO documentary, for $35,200.
“It’s undeniably a significant loss,” Dr. Levine, 71, reflected. “Leaving that beautiful home we built together, and all the memories contained within it, is difficult. But it truly felt like the right time.”
While the auction showcased an impressive array of items — from Tiffany and Cartier bracelets to portraits by Leibovitz and Hirschfeld, and a trove of sterling silver — conspicuously absent were Moore’s woolen tam-o’-shanter and any other pieces from her personal wardrobe.
This absence was no oversight. By the time the auction was organized, Dr. Levine had already formulated different plans for his late wife’s extensive collection of designer clothing, including pieces by Armani, Scaasi, and Issey Miyake.
Making It After All
A year after his wife’s passing, Dr. Levine, a retired cardiologist, embarked on a new endeavor: establishing the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative. This nonprofit aims to combat diabetes-related vision loss and blindness, a cause deeply personal as Ms. Moore, a Type 1 diabetic, herself experienced severe vision deterioration, becoming nearly blind by the end of her life.
Building on his wife’s lifelong commitment to advocacy — Moore served as the international chair of Breakthrough T1D, a leading organization for Type 1 diabetes research fundraising — Dr. Levine began seeking sponsors for the new Vision Initiative.
His search led him to Elyce Arons, co-founder of the Kate Spade brand and the late designer’s closest friend. Arons, a lifelong admirer of Mary Tyler Moore, was then working on a memoir about her three-decade friendship with Ms. Spade, aptly titled ‘We Might Just Make It After All’—a nod to the iconic ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show’ theme song.
Arons first met her future business partner, then Katy Brosnahan, in August 1981 on their first day at the University of Kansas. Both women were studying journalism, a career path they had both chosen, as Arons soon realized, inspired by the fictional local TV news producer, Mary Richards.
“Mary represented a truly modern woman,” Arons, 62, recently remarked from the Manhattan showroom of Frances Valentine, the second fashion brand she co-founded with Ms. Spade. “She was independent, confident, and she instilled in women of my generation the belief that we could achieve similar aspirations.”
In a touching collaboration, Elyce Arons, CEO of Frances Valentine, presented sketches for a Mary Tyler Moore-inspired capsule collection to S. Robert Levine, his wife’s husband. The collection’s designs will reflect Moore’s signature onscreen style, especially from her early portrayals such as Mary Richards. Her portrayal of homemaker Laura Petrie on ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ was groundbreaking, notably for popularizing cigarette pants as casual attire for women at home.
Now, in a poignant way, Ms. Arons finds herself collaborating with the legacy of Mary Tyler Moore.
To support the foundation, Arons and the Frances Valentine team are developing a capsule collection for fall 2026. The designs draw inspiration from Moore’s early iconic characters: Laura Petrie from ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ and, naturally, Mary Richards.
The very confidence and spirit of Moore that inspired both Arons and Spade will now be accessible to contemporary women, channeled through stylish pieces like cigarette pants, mock turtlenecks, plaid jackets, and ribbed knits. A significant portion—twenty percent of the net sales from this collection—will directly benefit the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative.
In March, Dr. Levine traveled from Connecticut to the city to familiarize himself with the brand. Clearly impressed, he extended an invitation to Arons to visit his Greenwich home and explore his wife’s extensive wardrobe. She accepted without hesitation.
“My immediate thought was, ‘When can I be there?’” she recounted, emphasizing her eagerness.
The visit itself was a dream come true for Arons, who reveled in the opportunity to explore her hero’s closet. Videos from that day show her excitedly trying on various outfits, transforming each into a mini makeover montage. “It felt like Christmas morning,” she enthused, though the joy was bittersweet, shadowed by the absence of her late friend.
“I desperately wanted to call Katy and say, ‘You won’t believe where I am right now,’” Arons shared, lamenting, “because she absolutely should have been there with me.” (Kate Spade tragically passed away in 2018.)
Arons also pondered how to extend this unique experience with Moore’s wardrobe to a wider audience.
“My team immediately suggested that these pieces belong in a museum,” Arons recalled. “They deserve a place in prestigious institutions like the Met, F.I.T., or the Smithsonian. They need to be showcased somewhere truly significant.”
‘Perhaps We Were a Bit Naïve’
The Frances Valentine showroom, situated in the historic Beaux-Arts Building overlooking Bryant Park—once home to Jazz Age artist Florine Stettheimer’s studio—provided a bright setting. On a late July Wednesday morning, Dr. Levine and Ms. Arons sat together at a white table, surrounded by design sketches and photographs of Mary Tyler Moore’s iconic looks that fueled their inspiration.
And there, resting among them, was The Hat itself: a compact woolen saucer adorned with concentric rings of black, indigo, and forest green, its midnight blue pompom possibly yearning for a good fluff after years of quiet repose in a Manila envelope.
During an interview, Dr. Levine shared his aspirations for the future of Moore’s extensive wardrobe. While unable to provide an exact count, he recalled her insistence on 100 linear feet of closet space when designing their Greenwich home, remarking, “You can be assured that she had that all well filled.” Although Moore’s will didn’t specify what to do with her clothes, Dr. Levine hopes they will find a home in a major institution, perhaps as a permanent exhibit. There’s widespread consensus, especially, that The Hat undeniably belongs in a museum.
A series of images showcases stunning selections from Moore’s personal collection: a George Stavropoulos gown from her 1980 Tony Awards hosting, an intricate beaded floral ensemble by Arnold Scaasi worn to a 1992 Museum of Television & Radio event, and a dazzling Scaasi dress from a 1994 literacy gala.
Admittedly, the quest to find these garments a permanent, prestigious home has progressed slower than anticipated.
Upon contacting the Fashion Institute of Technology, Valerie Steele, the museum’s director and chief curator, informed them via email that her institution was “not the right venue to accept MTM’s garments,” explaining that it didn’t align with their mission. She kindly suggested alternative institutions, such as the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens or the Paley Center for Media instead.
Arons also confirmed discussions with the Costume Institute, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s highly regarded fashion division known for hosting the annual Met Gala. “Our conversations with them are relatively recent,” Arons stated, adding, “I believe they’re interested in a few select pieces.” A representative for the Costume Institute chose not to comment on the ongoing discussions.
Dini von Mueffling, a publicist collaborating with Arons, noted that a primary challenge has been the extensive planning required by top-tier institutions, where major exhibitions are often scheduled two to five years ahead. “Perhaps it was a bit naive of us,” she admitted, “to assume they’d immediately want it—after all, it’s Mary Tyler Moore!”
Was it naiveté or simply optimism? Dr. Levine observed a reflection of his wife’s vibrant spirit in Arons’s “overwhelmingly positive energy,” which he suggests might have made it easier for him to grant access to his wife’s cherished wardrobe, despite having met Arons only once prior.
“What else could I do?” he pondered aloud. “I believe the best way to honor Mary’s memory and share her enduring presence with the world is by sharing these significant items.”
While he’s set aside a few personal favorites, including a grand Givenchy shawl, Dr. Levine has largely accepted that his wife’s wardrobe deserves a new life, publicly displayed rather than kept in a closet. “That’s what it truly deserves,” he concluded. “It needs to live on.”