Sacha Walters, Staff Reporter

Left: The silver strands and beads define this hat worn by Marcellas James. Right: Bright colours, for the woman who is not afraid of being see.

Left: Blue and white sinamay made this traditional church hat. Right: The classic lady's wide-brimmed straw hat in sky blue with silver straw.

Cinderella hats has been ensuring that you have the perfect fit for years. It is no wonder that they were a hit at the recent JMA/JEA Expo 2008 held at the National Arena in St Andrew.

With a range of regular and custom-made hats, they can top the heads of Jamaican women for any occasion.

The factory is located at 49 Beeston Street, Kingston.

The company is making a special line of head toppers for the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, this summer. The themed hats feature the national colours, black, green and gold, and are ideal for showing our patriotism.

Marcellas James, manager of the company, took Flair on a tour of her establishment and pulled out some of the designs.

She offered a tip on how to properly measure for hat size.

Take a tape measure, start from the centre of the forehead and wrap around the top of the head, above the top of the ears and you will have your hat size.

Hat-wearing tips

If you are in doubt about how to wear a hat, look to one of the oldest hat wearers on the international scene, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Hats must coordinate with what's on top.

Second, hats should never be worn to formal events that start after six in the evening.

Other tips

	Clean your hair off your face, tucking it away behind your ears.
	Try tilting your hat to the side and forward.
	Use earrings to balance the face and hat.

Hats are worn:

	For an occasion, to pamper yourself or because fashion has changed.
	To a wedding, a trip to the races, for shopping, travelling, to protect against the cold or sun, a religious occasion.
	For protection, to finish the look of an outfit, to help you stand out, to alter the look of the outfit, to look elegant, to look quirky, to pick up your mood.
	Never touch someone's hat. Admire hats from a distance. There's no excuse for knocking someone's hat, even by accident. Be careful if you're sitting behind a hat wearer.
	Don't get too close when two hat wearers hug. Both have to tilt their head all the way to the side, in opposite directions, and leave space in between.
	Don't ask to borrow someone's hat.
	Develop a 'hatitude' in order to wear your hat well. Enjoy the fact that men always help a woman in a hat first.

Models: Jane Thomas and Marcellas James.

Left: Jane Thomas of Cinderella Hats and Bridal House models a hat trimmed with pink sinamay. Right: This bandeau made of sinamay is another piece from their vintage line. - photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer