Are you or aren't you?

Are you a die-hard hat fan, who can confidently pull on your cherished chapeau and enjoy the admiring looks?

Or... do you often announce "I'm not a hat person," all the while wishing you really were?

Keira Knightley

I'll confess I'm not a hat person - not an easy statement to make when I walked into the Queen of Hats store Thursday.

While everyone else growing up in Wisconsin survived winters with appropriate ear warmers, I dodged frostbite for fashion and "hat head" for tousled locks.

Not to worry. Dorinda Putnam, owner of the Congress Street store, says she hears that familiar admission every day.

"Hats," she says, "are a very powerful accessory."

Meaning?

Unlike days of old when a lady didn't leave the house without her hat - even to the grocery store - hats today draw more attention. But don't you need self-confidence to wear a hat? "A hat gives confidence," she contends.

So how does Dorinda turn a non-hat person into that sassy gal you see on the street?

First, and most importantly, comes fit. You can measure your head to find your size (or they can do it for you). Wrap a tape around your head, just above your eyebrows. That inch measurements, divided by pi (3.1), is your hat size. Make sure you have it right: If your hat's too tight or flies off when the a breeze blows in, you'll soon grow frustrated.

Next, consider a style that works not only with your coat or style of clothing, but with your body shape. A larger person, for instance, might look proportionately out of kilter in a very small hat.

Finally, once you find a hat that fits and looks right, you'll need to get used to putting it on - and wearing it.

Before you know it, you're a hat person.

Dorinda has converted many an unadorned head in her 19 years at Queen of Hats. This fall's resurgence of hats as a fashion statement and all those celebrity heads - from Kate Moss in caps to Keira Knightley in a fedora - are helping, too.

In addition to the popular newsboy cap, she predicts the cap style with a smaller crown in plaids and boiled wool will be hot for fall, along with the classic cloche and dashing fedora.

Many customers come looking for that special hat they saw in a film or on a movie star. Sometimes she works from a customer's description to find the match - but sometimes it means a little more research.

For hat lovers who have designs on something more original, Dorinda can make a hat in two to three weeks. Many of her hats land on heads across the country, and when race season starts they're at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont and even the Royal Ascot.

Queen of Hats is located at 560 Congress St. and is open 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

On Nov. 17-19 Queen of Hats will have a trunk show of mink hats, shearling hats and gloves, and fox fur headbands and earmuffs.

This Heather cloche in green velour felt from Eggcup Designs channels the free-spirited look inspired by the '20s. The updated cloche comes in several colors. $150.

The Jeannette by Lillie & Cohoe is a wool cloche adorned with velvet. The Canadian company makes this hat even more practical with ear flaps that fold down for the coldest days. $135.

The Audrey frames he face in gold tweed trimmed with suede around the crown and brim. A buckle in the back accents a notch that allows room for your coat collar. $115.