Switch in time

A York milliner has scored a hat-trick with her latest design, discovers Maxine Gordon

Old hat is the last expression you would use to describe Le Switch. For this hat - the latest addition to the Tiffany collection by York firm Get Ahead Hats - is one of a kind. Or should that be three of a kind.

What you see here is really what you get, three hats for the price of one.

"I've never seen anything like it before. It's a genuine three-in-one hat," says Beryl Otley, who set up Get Ahead Hats from her farmhouse just outside York in 1987.

Le Switch takes the classic form of an Audrey Hepburn-style down-brim base which is dressed up with an Alice band decorated with stripped coque feathers. The band is detachable - revealing a plain Tiffany hat - but here's the real ingenuity: the band can then be worn by itself.

Needless to say, Le Switch provides a new versatility to hat wearing. You can wear the full ensemble to a wedding, then peel off the band and wear it by itself to the evening reception.

Alternatively, Le Switch gives you three distinct looks for the price of one hat - offering the right headgear for the right occasion, whether it be a graduation, a memorial service or a race meeting.

And when you take into account Le Switch costs £195, it means you're really getting your money's worth.

Like many of the brightest innovations, Le Switch came about by chance. Beryl delights in telling the story. "Dyonni - who designs exclusively for us - had been making the base for a Tiffany collection and was looking for inspiration for some different ideas. At the same time she was working on an Alice band effect.

"Her mum came in with a cup of coffee, Dyonni put the hat on a hat-stand and placed the Alice band around it to keep it out of the way - and realised the look worked."

Beryl recalls her excitement when she first saw the 'creation'. "I thought it was brilliant. It really works. I'm not saying it's going to take the trade by storm but it is original and very wearable. That's important: it's not so original that it's way out. But it's slightly cheeky too."

Le Switch has just been unveiled to customers, and already it's proving a hit.

"The appeal is that it is three hats in one," says Beryl. "You have simple elegance for during the day and you've got something cocktail for the evening. It's just nice to have something new. I'm quite chuffed."

Beryl says she believes the hat represents a new minimalist trend in fashion. "Women are looking for something a little bit more classic and elegant. They want simple lines and less fuss."

Le Switch is available to buy 'off the shelf' in a cream, black or navy base. However it can be made to order in other colours. It is also available to hire for £50.

Get Ahead Hats will be holding a series of charity open days next week at its showroom at Dutton Farm, A59, near Hessay. Women are invited to come along and have fun trying on the collections. Staff will be on hand to give advice and a raffle will be held in aid of Macmillan Cancer Relief. From Wednesday to Saturday, 10am-7pm. Beryl's tip: if you are looking for a hat to wear with an outfit, bring the outfit along. For more details, call Get Ahead Hats on 01904 738656.