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It's that silly time of year again; the time when all the women in town just have to buy a new hat. (And probably a whole outfit.) But then one wouldn't even dream of attending race day for the World Cup unless one had something dramatic adorning one's head.

Although some might prefer un petit morceau that was understated: subtle with that touch of elegance. A hat, my dear, is an absolute given.

"Wouldn't it be nice if it was like the old days when ladies wouldn't step out without wearing a hat," Elizabeth muses wistfully. "They're marvellous sunshades. If we could go around town with a hat all the time and gloves it would be wonderful."

And what better place to visit for the purchase of the aforementioned hat than Eve Michelle at Magrudy's owned by the flamboyant Elizabeth Maley-Craig. Overflowing with a rainbow of millinery in all shapes and sizes, the small boutique is a veritable treasure trove but which one to choose?

"A hat reflects people's nature quite well, their personality. I'm fairly flamboyant so if I get a hat, I get a big hat that's usually really striking. At the World Cup the more outrageous hats tend to worn by the women who have big personalities. The young ones want something more funky. It depends on who and what they are. Black is always very good and gold tones go with several outfits. The kinkiest hats, the most unusual, are the first to go. This year we had two that were almost like skull caps with a sort of nun's veil, really unusual and they went straight away. The little pieces which are basically a clip with feathers, I call them froo-froos but they're actually 'fascinators'."

Of course there are sensible rules to which one should adhere to ensure the maximum number of admiring looks.

"A petite lady with a small head looks much better in a smaller hat. For the lady with a larger build or someone who is tall, a bigger hat is better. The rule of thumb is that if you have broad shoulders you should have a big hat. If you're tall and broad you can afford to wear a big hat and the brim can extend as far as you want!"

At the World Cup last year and the year before, Eve Michelle hats were winners.

"We have expert staff who are qualified in dressing women and we supply everything from the hat to the shoes apart from underwear; dresses, evening gowns, casual wear. And then we accessorise with jewellery, handbags and all the trimmings. A lot of our customers come in and we dress them from top to toe. That's what makes Eve Michelle unique."

Their clientele ranges across the board in terms of nationality, age, size and shape. Not that easy a task to analyse individual perfection.

"I can't explain," says Sales Manager and consultant extraordinaire, Zahra Hewson. "It's a gut instinct that you get when you look and chat to them. But you have to be honest because you don't want someone walking around all day thinking they look amazing when everyone else thinks they look terrible. People appreciate that we won't let them out unless they look good and that's why they come back."

But back to hats. There's still a fragment of time before the tape goes up on the first race at Nad al Sheba.

"Darling, isn't that an Eve Michelle that you're wearing?"