Camilla Parker Bowles has fixed on the designer of her hat for the royal wedding with Prince Charles. It’s going to be world-famous Irish hatter Philip Treacy, who has designed head-dresses for Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel. "I am delighted and honoured," said the 37-year-old designer.

Treacy’s passion for fashion originates from his childhood, when he lived across the road from the church in the Irish village.

"As a small child, I loved to watch the weddings there. They were the equivalent of a fashion show to me," he says on his website.

In 1990 the young talented artist graduated with a first-class master’s degree in fashion design from the Royal College of Art in London, and a year later he already was designing hats for Chanel. He is a fivefold winner of British Fashion Council award as the British accessory designer of the year. His first fashion show was staged in 1993 and in 2000 he held his first Haute Couture hat show in Paris.

Meanwhile, it has also been revealed who will dress the bride, Camilla Parker Bowles, for the special day. The duo Anna Valentine and Antonia Robinson of the west London-based fashion company Robinson Valentine, known for its exclusive but safely classical designs, were entrusted the vital task.

"We are thrilled to be asked by Camilla Parker Bowles to design the dress," the designers said in a statement to AFP.

Anna and Antonia, who have previously made evening dresses for Parker Bowles, declined to disclose information about the design itself.

British publication The Plain Dealer asked three local bridal salon owners what style of gown best suits Parker Bowles' age, figure and the civil ceremony.

Donna Pickett of Brides by Donna chose a linear V-neck gown with ruching through the bust and waistline, accented with a brooch.

"She [Parker Bowles] seems to be full through the chest, and I thought that would soften her look," said Pickett.

It used to be that an older woman or a woman getting married for the second time almost always wore a suit, but Barbara Filarski, manager of Laura Salkin Bridals & Fashions in Shaker Heights, rejected the tradition and chose an off-the-shoulder dress with a band of beading and Swarovski crystals at the waist

"I'm seeing more older brides who want to wear a gown. You're never too old to wear a gown. It just depends on the type of the gown.

"This dress is a little more conservative, but it's elegant. Plus, I've seen pictures of her in off-the-shoulder dresses, so I know she likes that style."

Lyily Abdallah, co-owner of Matina's in Woodmere, opted for a strapless hourglass-shaped gown with a cascading skirt and a matching jacket, which gives a sophisticated feeling to a middle-aged bride.

"The fullness will hide her [Parker Bowles'] hips, and it will give her a waist," Abdallah explained.

A small hat was another suggested element. "The English are big into hats," said Abdallah.