Cocktail hats are fun and flirty little bits of fluff designed to decorate an updo or call attention to your outfit. They can enhance the graceful curve of your neck, bring out the shape and definition of your eyes, help lift the appearance of your cheekbones and show your shining hair to advantage. They can come with or without a veil to add mystery to your eyes.

A well designed and thought out cocktail hat weighs next to nothing and has glitters and poufs and feathers and all sorts of little nothings to tease and tempt. One of the most accomplished flirts I've ever met told me that she considers the cocktail hat the perfect accessory to transition from day wear to date wear.

Her suggestion: "Get a tiny little cocktail hat in the same color as a power suit - my favorite is bright blue - and pin it to the very top of your head, tilted slightly to one side. If you're wearing your hair up in a twist on the back of your head, it magically makes your hair look fancy instead of utilitarian. If you're wearing it down, part it on the side and pin the hat over the part. It adds glamour to any outfit."