A few weeks ago, I found myself in a cute boutique in Washington, D.C.. Naturally, I gravitated to the items that I either couldn't afford or couldn't imagine wearing with the one exception being a jaunty tweed wool cap with velvet buttons and a price tag that was almost too good to be true. It was just $20.

When I put the hat on, I was less certain that it was a must-have. There was something -- probably the buttons -- that just didn't fly atop my head. As I was about to return the hat to shelf, a saleswoman walked up to me, and asked me what I thought of the hat. I told her that while it was great, it didn't quite work on me.

She asked to see it on me, and I obliged (it's easier to salespeople off your back if you do what they ask). So I put the hat on and leaned down so that she could exactly what I meant when I said it didn't work. The saleswoman then asked, "Do you wear hats very often?"

I didn't, so I said, "No." At that point, she told me to take off the hat, and follow her directions.

Her first instruction was to leave the sides of my hair down so that the cap (and my hairdo) still covered my ears. I had to admit, covering my ears was a huge improvement, but it still didn't quite make up for the fact that the hat seemed oddly asymmetrical.

She then she asked me to cock the hat slightly to the right. When I did she approvingly responded, "See, there you are. It looks perfect." And girlfriend was right! With two simple adjustments, the hat I love looked totally smashing -- not just on the shelf, but on me.

So, if you're one of those people who can't quite seem to get hats to work on your head, remember these two helpful tips:

1. Cover your ears
2. Tilt your hat slightly to the left.