Simone Mirman

Simone Mirman with model Virginie at her shop in the 1960s Photograph: PA

1955: Despite clothing shortages during and after the war, Mirman was kept very busy. Clothing coupons were not needed for hats; they were the only permissible frivolity in restricted wardrobes, and she confected her tiny, jaunty flourishes out of any scraps that could be scrounged, recycled or improvised Photograph: Barratts/PA

1962: A rather politically incorrect beret modelled by Celia Hammond. Mirman said hats always gave women confidence. Photograph: Corbis

1955: Mirman was interested in a precise match of woman and hat, and worked circling round each customer to check all the angles until both were certain Photograph: Harry Kerr/Getty

1962: A spring-themed hat by Mirman modelled by Sandra Paul - later Sandra Howard, the wife of the Conservative MP Michael Howard Photograph: Corbis

1971: The wackier hats in her collections, meant for press attention, were likely to be the work of her husband, Serge. He was a communist Jewish medical student with Russian connections, unacceptable to her middle-class, Catholic parents, so the couple eloped to London in 1937 Photograph: Getty

Simone also worked for Norman Hartnell, couturier by appointment to the royal family. They bought hats from London's premier milliner, Aage Thaarup, but in 1952, after Princess Margaret reportedly thought his prices too high, Simone was invited to show her wares at Buckingham Palace Photograph: Tim Graham/Getty

At an exhibition of the Queen's hats and handbags at Kensington Palace in 2003, Mirman's finest milliery included cloches dense with small flowerheads, as though the Queen were wearing the posies with which she is always presented Photograph: Tim Graham/Getty