An upended bouquet of silk roses becomes a cocktail hat ($175 or $225, depending on the size).

"This very glamorous woman walked in dressed to the nines in a high-collared, full-length, black velvet gown with crystal jewelry sparkling and a cocktail hat," he recalled.

He describes his birds as "the live variety that look like they are wearing mad cocktail hats."

A cocktail hat is sometimes worn as a fashion statement.

But Ms. Shields appealingly emphasizes the inner naïf of a character whose worldly sophistication keeps slipping off like an ill-fitting cocktail hat.

To make her point she put on a feathered cocktail hat - the sort Grace Kelly might have worn - and voilà, instant contours.

It's hard to tell, with the number of young women donning cocktail hats for a festive night out, just as women did 50 years ago.

Styles include the top hat, hats worn as part of military uniforms, cowboy hat and cocktail hat.

A cocktail hat is a small, extravagant hat for a woman.

Maybe they will be responsible for bringing back the cocktail hat.