When the occasion calls for a hat, a professional milliner could well be the answer. Everyone notices a well made hat and compliments accordingly. But because most of us only very rarely wear hats, choosing style, colour, material and decoration can be a daunting process.

In an ideal instance, perhaps, a hat will be purchased at the same time as the outfit. Balance and matching can then be an integral part of the design process, achieving stunning results – an elegant fusion in which the entirety of line is considered from full circle viewing.

Hats can be worn in an infinite number of ways and have a multitude of uses. At weddings the guests’ hats are often light in colour with delicate floral decoration and accessories, alluding to the ‘bridal’ styling but keeping discreetly in the wings so as not to attempt to upstage the bride. In contrast, hats designed for funerals and memorials are usually dark in colour and simple in styling, worn as a mark of respect and restraint at difficult times.

On celebratory occasions, the hat is allowed to take on a life of its own. At banquets, garden parties and ‘days at the races’ spectacular hats will never fail to make front page news. Often ‘themed’ and topical the hats range from the highest designer fashion to the ostentations and whimsical.

In some cases, in which a favourite outfit has been created or purchased but does not include the headpiece; an expert milliner will be able to design the ideal hat. This is an artistic feat and requires specialist knowledge and experience and the result can be quite remarkable – a truly traditional bespoke service, still very much alive in contemporary fashion circles.