The hat is back, at least if we want to believe the words of a German journalist who identifies the hat as the perfect accessory not only to withstand the winter cold but even the financial crisis. In his words, hats identify you as being your own master, non-conform and independent from the Wall Street Crowd. As campers may know, 85% of body heat leaves through the head and thus combined with its protective function against things falling from the sky, hats are an essential tool for risk management.

Whether pure fashion or function was the reason for the first person wearing a sort of straw hat depicted on an old tomb painting found in Thebes (a city in Ancient Egypt) it is hard to tell. The Phrygian cap (Phrygia is another ancient kingdom located what is now Turkey) was given to freed slaves as sign of their liberty. The ancient Greeks wore the first hat with a brim, known as the Pestasos.

Hat shapes, materials, decorations and techniques have since then achieved a mind-blowing diversity, check out Style.com for the spring 2009 hat fashion. Most fascinating is the production of Panama style hats made from palm in Mexico's Becal region: since the weather is hot and dry palm fibers become brittle very quickly. In order to keep the palm from breaking, the Mayans produce the hats in dark man-made underground caves that are cool and humid enough to keep the palm flexible.

It doesn't need to be that difficult and uncomfortable to make a hat, you could start with a cloche hat or a baret as a fantastic addition to the shawl that is featured on the front page - you can google various How Tos on the web.