A bell-shaped hat or cloche. A bell-shaped hat with a low, rounded crown and narrow, soft or hard margins.

In the early twentieth century, the French modist Caroline Réboux invented the hat, which came into fashion in the 1920s. For more than 50 years, Caroline Réboux held the title of Queen of Hat Fashion.

The innovation of this style was not only in its minimalism and few embellishments (as opposed to the hats of the 1910s), but also in the way Rebu made them. She took a piece of felt and gave it the right look right on the model's head. Unlike other models of hats, this one was created specifically for women and not borrowed from men's wardrobe.

In the early 1920s they were worn heavily slung over the eyes. Women stretched their necks and raised their heads to be more visible from under the low margins of the cloche. The look became languid, haughty and very coquettish.

The hat created a real sensation and there was even a new term in the history of fashion: cloche-mania. Actresses, singers, ladies and gentlemen of fashion chose the cloche because it created the image of a fatal coquette, always shrouded in mystery and ready for adventures and ventures.

Reba's most loyal customer was the great actress Marlene Dietrich. The future Duchess of Windsor, Lady Wallis Simpson-Warfield, was one of the hat house's chief clients. She wore a Carolina Rebu hat during her marriage to England's former King Edward VIII in June 1937.

The cloche remained at the height of fashion for 15 years and only reappeared in women's wardrobes at the end of the twentieth century. In 2007 leading brands included the exquisite headpiece in their collections. The popularity was cemented by the film 'Swap', where Angelina Jolie wore an elegant hat.

In the 1920s, fashionistas developed a special "language": women used ribbons on their hats to convey a certain message to the public. For example, an arrow-shaped ribbon meant that a girl was single but her heart was in the right place; a tight knot meant a lady was married; and a bright bow meant an unmarried girl was very interested in communicating with the opposite sex.

Famous couturiers such as Lanvin and Moline opened ateliers in order to compete with modistas who specialised in making hats. The cloche hat influenced hairstyles: the 'Eaton haircut' (a short, flattened cut similar to the one worn by Josephine Baker) became very popular precisely because it was perfectly suited to cloche hats.

The cloche hat briefly returned to fashion in the late 1980s thanks to designers such as Patrick Kelly.

The autumn/winter 2010-2011 season has brought this style to the forefront. Many leading fashion houses have introduced cloche styles in felt, leather, linen and silk. The product has become very popular amongst actresses and royalty. In different periods the hat was worn by Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Beckham. The Spanish princess Leticia wore a cloche at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The way of wearing a bonnet has changed - it's been pushed to the back of the head, then sideways, but it has nevertheless come back into fashion again and again. What's the secret? The answer is simple - it's an elegant hat that fills the image with special charm.

Hats were originally made from soft felt. Now hats are available in a variety of materials and techniques - straw, leather, felting and knitted.

The cap has a secret all its own. And that secret lies in its margins and trimmings. In the past, the decorations on this hat had a special symbolic meaning. Today's fashionistas attach little importance to the secret symbolism. But traditionally, jewellery is only placed on one side of the hat.