Who’d have thought wrinkles would rescue the millinery business? But that’s what’s happening. Just when you’d decided that hat-making was the last legal industry in the world you’d want your children to end up finding employment in, hats are staging a comeback. Not at formal events, ironically, where judging by the weddings I’ve attended lately, hats are about as fashionable as the farthingale among the younger generations.

But for everyday life, weirdly, they’re proliferating. This has been a stealth revival over several winters, partially spurred on by the annual five-minute snowflake fest, and partly by the fact that, in their different ways, Johnny Depp and P Diddy have both somehow managed to give fedoras attitude again.

But it was this past summer that hats started to look like proper accessories for stylish adults. Elle Macpherson in her straw Stetsons, Moss in her summerweight trilbies, Sienna Miller working her Panama with exceptionally pleasing results (hot tip: wear with micro bikini, toned body and preferably some up-and-coming model-turned-actor in the background) can all take credit. So too can Kylie in her baker boy caps. Keira Knightley in a bowler hat was more of a moot point, but at least it provided an outlet for someone’s brim-moulding skills.

What was lovely about this flurry-ette of summer headwear was that, the bowler aside, none of it looked particularly contrived. The successful sorties, like the best modern developments in fashion, had a chic look of the functional about them – probably because they were functional, now that A-listers are increasingly taking steps to protect their faces from the sun. This takes us to the crux of good hat-wearing: for where there is a clear, defined purpose to a hat, there is a hat that looks comfortable on its perch, and a wearer who seems at ease with themselves, rather than looking like a self-conscious pillock.

With luck, this jaunty turn of events will accelerate through winter. For the first time in years, many designers accessorised their catwalk collections with hats, from the full-brimmed, late Seventies-inspired hats at Marc Jacobs, the Forties-style fedoras at Roberto Cavalli and the furry peaked caps at Luella, to the glossy cloches at Proenza Schouler and berets at Ralph Lauren.

Carefully chosen, hats are highly flattering, framing the face, casting shadows that create angles and highlight cheekbones. But let’s not pretend they’re easy. Those of a nervous disposition will probably wish to start with a casual, unhattish sort of hat – the millinery equivalent of a T-shirt.

Enter the beanie, which being not so much a hat, more of a head sock, ought to be the easiest option. Actually, the beanie is quite tricky to get right if you don’t have a cascade of long, bouncy locks to offset the harsh head-suction effect. Berets can look fabulous on someone with a big enough head, ditto the tam-o’-shanter, which is really just a beret on steroids. Once you’ve got used to the feel of these, I’d strongly recommend a fedora – as ever Philip Treacy’s are the gold standard. Nothing creates the illusion of cheekbones with so little pain. Plus it keeps the rain off. You can’t say the same for implants.

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