Forget what you think you know about hats.
Unless, that is, you already know that bucket hats and boaters are the fashionable choice for keeping the summer sun off your head.
After summers of the trilby and fedora styles being the hat of choice, it seems there couldn't be two more differentfashionable choices.
Bucket hats have their men-gone-fishing associations whereas boater hats have a much posher history - think private schoolgirls and barbershop quartets.
Buy one of each for summer and you'll have every hat-worthy situation covered.
To convince yourself of the bucket hat's coolness, look to past and future Karen Walker collections to see how this usually casual style can be dressed up for keeping the sun's rays off coloured hair during formal long lunches.
I say future because Kiwi Karen has included ruffled bucket hats in her spring 2011 collection.
Elsewhere in local fashion, Ruby have called their one the "Top Cat hat" and shod it in polka dot, animal print and floral.
Kate Sylvester also has a version - the Camo Hat.
If you don't rate your ability to dress up the cloth styles, look for straw bucket hats like the one on this page from JacquiE.
On the other hand, you'll have no trouble looking dressy if you wear a girly boater on an angle.
Pair a boater, like the Dotti one, with a floral dress or frilled blouse for instant cute.
Too cute? Pair it back with a block colour sundress or your favourite shorts and singlet.
Of course, if the boater is too dressy and the bucket hat not dressy enough, you could always go with a wide-brimmed straw hat.
With talk that next summer's hat of choice is going to be the pork pie, at least you know it's always going to be in fashion.
