GOING DOTTY: According to “Life Weekend Magazine,” polka dots are the new solid. There are now dotted dishes, handbags, shoes, watches, eletrical equipment, laptop cases and mouse pads. According to the marketing firm Youth Intelligence, “Right now, it’s about visuals that make you happy. Polka dots do that perfectly.”

We hear from Saratoga Springs retailer Natalie Sillery (who owns the Saratoga Trunk) that hat wearing is all about getting noticed. "Women are going for some edgy, out-there hats that are vertical with feathers, flowers and bunches of tulle," she says. "Too much of a good thing is even better." The trend toward the over-the-top, higher-crown hats can be attributed to the headwear seen at the recent British royal wedding of Prince Charles and the former Camilla Parker Bowles,” says Sillery.

VINTAGE STILL GOING STRONG: Everyone is going full guns for retro and antique headwear. Many of the Red Hat Ladies (and designers) are in search of vintage antique hats. There are retail stores across the country selling these hats, pick up a few and copy them. The consumer is ready for this trend, especially since so many hat wearers are antiques themselves.

Ashley Simpson has been seen wearing the classic Kangol Heritage cap in herringbone. She was spotted walking down the street with her sister in this week's US Weekly. She wore the cap on her US tour and apparently loves this style.

Ebony Magazine just featured an article about hats called, “The brims are back!” “The hat is making a big comeback, becoming one of the hottest fashion accessories for men. Celebrities and everyday Brothers in hoods never leave the house without something on their heads. Make no mistake, it takes a certain amount of bravado to wear a hat…. Wearing a hat is all about attitude, says Craig Marberry, author of the book Crowns. "A hat is a fashion accessory that speaks long before the wearer says a word. It's like the exclamation point to a fashion statement. Just as church hats are important to women, men are beginning to place increased importance on hats…..entire generations of men have no idea of the proper hat protocol. As a result, men's headwear has regained much of its popularity, more casual rules have taken shape.”

Their advice to readers (many of whom could be your customer): A tall, slim man should avoid hats with narrow brims, and he should wear his hat with a slight tilt. Shorter men should wear hats with turned-up brims and tapered crown (it makes them look taller). Larger men should look for hats with low crowns, preferably tapered with an extremely narrow brim. There you have it retailers: Business should be looking up. Everyone is wearing hats.