A hat can be more than just the finishing touch to an outfit for a special occasion - for clients of Eda Rose Millinery of Wallingford, it can equally well be the starting point. A personal consultation with Eda Rose, for her expert advice on which style and colour she feels will best suit the client, usually begins with a consideration of the other items in the new outfit which it is to complement, but that is not always the case.

Ms Rose said: "Some of our clients come to us first to buy the hat, because they know that they are going to find something special in our showroom and they then go out and buy an outfit to match the hat.

"After all, there are far more good dress shops and couturiers than there are good milliners."

That outfit may be for a wedding, a garden party, an event such as Henley Royal Regatta, or racing at Ascot - where Eda Rose hats often grace the Royal Enclosure - or many another social occasion.

She only sells her hats - at prices ranging from £295 - and does not hire them out. Her customers include Harrods.

Her showroom is at her own home, where she also has her office and workshop.

There are up to 70 hats on show. All are made on the premises by a team of millinery assistants, to her own designs.

Clients come by appointment. They may see just what they are looking for straight-away. Otherwise a hat will be made to their own requirements.

Before coming, they can view a selection of 24 hats on Ms Rose's website.

If they live some distance away - clients come from over a wide distance, even from New York. They can send details of the outfit that the hat is to complete. Ms Rose will then send back her ideas for the hat design, and later the finished creation.

She uses luxurious materials, such as lace, silk, velvet and the very fine gauze-like sinamay straw for her innovative and glamorous creations.

The Cheltenham Festival of Racing marked the end of the winter hat season, when headwear needs to be practical and warming, as well as decorative. Now spring and summer delights beckon.

Ms Rose stresses the importance of using only the best fabrics. "The most expensive outfit can be spoiled by a cheap hat," she points out.

For trimmings, eye-catching beadwork is one of the trademarks of her couture millinery collection. She may also use feathers, flowers, pearls, sequins and crystals.

She has been in business in Wallingford since 1994. Ten years earlier, Ms Rose, who had studied art and design at Goldsmiths College in London and then went on to teach art, took the brave step of starting her own millinery business in Henley.

"You could say I burned my bridges, but I have never looked back."

The move proved to be good in more ways than one, for it was in Henley that she met her husband George, who was press secretary of the Royal Regatta.

Back to the hats and a very important factor in the success of a particular design is that it should be a perfect fit.

Ms Rose said: "Not only are the style, colour and decoration important, the hat must be made to fit the head comfortably - and not have to be held on by hand the moment there is a light breeze.

"All this attention to detail gives the wearer an air of confidence, making her feel elegant and glamorous on that special occasion. She can put on the hat and forget about it, and enjoy the day."

Forget it, that is, apart from accepting the compliments it brings her.

Fascinators, the small cocktail-type hats, have been a recent fashion, but Ms Rose feels these small headpieces of veiling, feathers, jewellery or other decorations may now be losing their appeal.

She is considered one of the finest designers of bespoke hats and bridal headdresses in the country, and is an authority on fashion. All members of a bridal party - and their guests - can find headwear with her.

Ms Rose knows that her clients find buying from her an enjoyable experience. The one-to-one consultation, the discussion over a cup of tea or coffee, or glass of sherry, and the ease of parking all contribute to the experience, she claims.

She said: "We offer a personal and exclusive service, and we boast that no-one leaves without being absolutely delighted with their bespoke creation.

"Style is co-ordinating the outfit and getting it right. It is something you either have a feeling for, or not. I don't think you have to match everything precisely. I like a finished image where the hat is complementing the outfit, and looks just right."