In the not-to-be-specified 'olden days', everyone wore hats, all the time. Apart from times when they were sleeping, bathing, politely greeting a passing lady, and selected other non hat-wearing times, hats were something you could not get away from. I, for one, rather like the romance of a fashion accessory everyone absolutely had to have, at the risk of seeming rude without one, or something, and I do love my hats. Sitting writing this on a cold October morning, I'm glorying in the chilly weather due to the fact that it allows me to wear my favourite sequinned floppy woollen beret when I go out later, and not feel overdressed. Nowadays, practical applications of wearing a hat aside (protecting yourself from the cold or the rays of the sun, and, baseball caps rarely count!), matching a hat with an outfit has become somewhat of a flourish of style, an epic finishing touch, making more of a statement than the most outlandish jewelry, towering over all other accessories as master of unnecessary grandeur and glamour.