Every woman needs a hat, said Carol Schaffeld of Chickamauga, Ga.

Schaffeld, an award-winning milliner, has two of her original creations on display at the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, Ky. She is all abuzz that England's soon-to-be-princess, Kate Middleton, is reintroducing the fashion accessory to a generation of young women.

Schaffeld, 53, who spent most of her formative years in Europe, has been a fan of hats since she was a child. After moving to the United States when she was a junior in high school, Schaffeld was disappointed to learn that here hats were out of fashion.

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Thanks, in part, to Middleton, the hat is edging its way back into the fashion picture, Schaffeld said.

"Most people don't realize that Kate's love of hats surfaced about three years ago," Schaffeld said. "The trade magazine The Hat, out of London, has been featuring her for quite awhile. Her style is fascinating a lot of young people."

Arlene Goldstein, vice president of trend merchandising and fashion direction for Belk, said Middleton is the "queen" of hats.

"She loves hats and can pull off wearing even the most eccentric ones," Goldstein said. "In England, it's cultural. The British have always loved hats. I think we [Americans] will look at what she wears, and the results will evolve. Personally, I love a hat in the summer. The idea of a floppy hat like we wore in the 1970s is becoming even more important as we move into the next season."

Goldstein said Belk sells a lot of hats. "It's a beautiful accessory. I think the more women wear them, the more other women will step out of their comfort zone and wear them, too."

Schaffeld is counting on it. Three years ago, she opened Peaches Fine Millinery in downtown Chickamauga, Ga., to showcase and sell her ever-growing collection of vintage, new and handmade hats. Selling her hats is the hard part, she said.

"I hate parting with them. I love my hats," she said, pointing out a couple of her favorites - a pink bonnet she wore as a baby and a pill-box style adorned with colorful flowers.

The former French teacher changed professional gears about seven years ago after attending a millinery workshop in Nashville. Milliners are "a small group," she said, "but more people are becoming interested."

Schaffeld said one of the most popular hats today is called a fascinator. It can be anything from an embellished hair accessory to a hat attached to a band or comb, called a "hatinator," that perches on the side of the head.

Schaffeld is selective about the hats she adds to her collection and about who buys them.

"I've made a pact to myself about the vintage hats. I will not sell them to someone who wants them for a Halloween costume," she said. "The vintage hats I buy have been well kept. Most have been stored in the boxes they came in, and many still have the receipts in the boxes. I want them to be respected."

Schaffeld also sells vintage and new children's hats, including traditional Easter bonnets for girls and wool caps for boys.

Until the end of May, Schaffeld will be busy at work designing a hat to enter in this year's hat contest sponsored by the Kentucky Derby Museum.

"All I know at this point is that my focus will be color. The hat has to be one that stands out in a crowd," she said.

Her 2010 award-winning hat, affectionately named "Eloise" after her mother, took much longer to construct than will this year's entry.

"I used 85 yards of ribbon to make the 25 roses I used on the hat," she said. "It took me a year to make. Everything was done by hand. No glue was used."