Presenting Evetta Petty: Ferrari red lips, mahogany eyes, a cheek splitting smile and a personality broad enough to support the fascinator she wears this morning: a luncheon of Japanese favourites like shrimp and tuna sushi, a pale green ‘dessert’ and chopsticks scribing an angular dash under the soft-looking, felt sushi forms.

On every hand are hats backed and framed by even more hats, reminding me of Bartholomew Cubbins’ moshka in Dr Seuss’ story about his 500 Hats.

Evetta pulls this off for the last 35 years and everyone seems to know but me. Those ladies of the Ascot and Churchill Downs race tracks, know. Harvey Fierstein knows, and requires her to attend him in order to fit the hat he wears when he channels Bella Abzug on Broadway, where Evetta is already a credited artist.

Her hand made, gros grain ribbon fedoras flirt with the men, coming in at least four shades of blue. Other forms are represented by Stetson which even presents a sombrero brimmed black fedora trimmed in red with yet another red fascinator atop its crown, a personal roof while driving your lime green Lincoln along Broadway at four in the morning, top down.

These are hats for both hatniks and beginners. Evetta tells me many young women have walked out empty-handed, unconvinced, only to call in the next day from Louisville’s Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Derby, to confess a mistake had been made—the hat is now desperately needed and must be FedExed today, if possible.

Wonderful video here.