5 Questions with Hattie Bloom

The woman who has been saving bare heads since 2003 has heard every last-minute panic story in the book, and she still loves every one of them.

Twenty-two years in, what still surprises you about women and hats?

How many women walk in absolutely convinced they cannot wear a hat, and walk out looking genuinely magnificent. It happens almost every day. The hat they thought would look ridiculous is usually the one they end up booking.

Royal Ascot or a Passing Out Parade: which crowd keeps you on your toes more?

Ascot, without question. Race day women have opinions, which I adore, but there are also about four hundred other women at the same enclosure and nobody wants to be the duplicate. A Passing Out Parade mother just wants to look proud and beautiful and not overshadow her child, which is a much cleaner brief.

What is the single biggest hat mistake women make?

Playing it safe out of nerves. A hat that is almost interesting is far worse than one that commits fully to what it is. If you have decided to wear a hat, wear the hat.

Hiring rather than buying, at this level of millinery. Do customers ever feel they are missing out?

Never, once they see the range. You get a £300 hat on your head for £65, worn once, returned without a second thought, and the money goes towards the next occasion. It is honestly a very elegant arrangement.

Someone finds you ten days before an event with nothing sorted. What do you tell them?

I tell them ten days is plenty. We have done it in two. You book, you come in, we find the right thing together, and it is ready and waiting for you before you need it. The panic is understandable, but it is also entirely solvable.