Yorkshire milliner gets ahead with topping out guests

Beryl Otley set up a hat company in 1982 and now, her creation – Get Ahead Hats – has supplied 35 hats for the royal wedding, ranging from a big-brimmed monochrome showstopper to a neat peacock blue percher.

Mrs Otley got into the millinery business when her daughter Jane was about to get married in 1982 she found it difficult to find a hat to match her apple green suit. She was so frustrated by her search that she launched Get Ahead Hats, which has become the largest UK farmers’ wives cooperative business. She has since retired but remains a consultant in the business while her daughter, whose wedding sparked the business, runs the Get Ahead Hats showroom in Pickering. Sarah Rhodes who has since bought the business from Mrs Otley, said: “We’ve supplied Liz Middleton, Michael Middleton’s cousin, with an opulent Vivien Sheriff hat in soft golds decorated with organza flowers.

“She’s wearing it with a Hobbs emerald green dress and an ivory jacket with natural shoes. We’ve been amazed at the variety of hats ordered from us for the wedding and it’s quite clear that the ladies have put a huge amount of thought into what they will be wearing on their heads – many of them buying their hats before their outfits.

“They have been adventurous with their choices and are determined to set their own trends. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed being involved in helping so many of the guests prepare for their big day.

“They have all been a delight to fit out and one thing that has come across with all of them is that they, like Kate, have had a clear sense of their own style and are determined to put on a show and make the most of this incredible occasion. Kate has always been a delight to work with. She’s down-to-earth and very easy going. She knows what suits her and has excellent fashion sense.”