The Cherry On Top

For some of the attendees, the occasion will be their first that demands a smart hat. And hats, once consigned to the realm of mothers of the bride and hen party covens, have been energised as a category by a fresh crew of fans and the outpouring of excitement over the impending celebrations.

'My hats seem to suit a new generation of hat-wearers who didn't think they could ever love hats,' Victoria Grant, a milliner who outfits Paloma Faith, and who is today wearing a kiss-shaped beret in electric pink chiffon, said. 'I had a client related to the Royal Wedding come in this morning. She walked in the door and she said, "I'll try a few things on, but I would never wear a hat." Within five minutes, I had her converted.'

Part of the new wave of theatrical head gear experimentation stems from strong role models, Piers Atkinson, the man behind Anna Dello Russo's giant cherry headpiece and Rihanna's spiked beret, floral flourish, cherries, etc, suggested. 'It's great to have people like ADR cutting a swathe as a figurehead [for hat-wearers] in the fashion industry,' he said. 'Hats are decorative. They're like little scuptures, little crowns; they're all about showing off in a very celebratory way!'

Fred Butler, the creative behind Lady Gaga’s Telephone hat, has magicked plush toys, vintage telephones and j cloths into sculptural hats. Her designs often evolve out of experiments with origami techniques. To Butler - a near-daily hat-wearer - loving hats is all about restoring a