Toy stores had always carried tiny Cinderella slippers, beautiful gowns and even entire trunks full of girly clothes. But, with the exception of a cowboy hat, I haven´t been able to find anything similar that would appeal to my son.

My search for “dress-up” hats for my son has led me, rather reluctantly, to the Internet. Sadly, 2 year olds can´t get enthusiastic about choosing a new hat from photos the size of postage stamps on a computer screen. Yet, I can’t seem to find any at my local toy store where he can try them on for size and decide if he wants a top hat or a crown.

The thing is, my son is always looking for a hat. If he happens to forget one as he walks out the door, he acts as if he has forgotten his pants or shoes, insisting that we return to the house. To him, hats are mandatory for the well-dressed 2 year old.

Because the few hats in my girls’ dress-up box are rather flowery, I decided to shop for something Nathan would enjoy—a fireman’s helmet, Indian headdress or train conductor’s cap. In the past, our costumes came from three sources: closets, toy stores or the Internet. But after searching both my closet and my husband’s I realized that hand-me-down hats can’t be altered with a few safety pins, as could my old frilly prom slip. With no way to make them smaller, most hand-me-down hats covered his eyes and many, like my husband’s old hard hat, were too heavy.

Toy stores had always carried tiny Cinderella slippers, beautiful gowns and even entire trunks full of girly clothes. But, with the exception of a cowboy hat, I haven’t been able to find anything similar that would appeal to my son, the future haberdasher. Oh, for a trunk full of hats!

Even the Internet hasn’t been that helpful. The hats are usually either part of a costume or cost as much as a costume. Either way, they aren’t economical enough for someone who sits on his hat as often as he wears it. I finally found hats-usa.com, which has a variety of hats for under $5. But when you’re two years old and decide you want a hat just like Mickey in “The Three Musketeers,” the Internet can be very far away. So I’d love to have a rack full of hats just a short ride away at my local toy store—because you never know when you’ll need a hat.

Writer's Bio: The mother of three children ages 13, 10 and 2, Jodi Webb started out as a toy seller. She´s happy to find a job where her accountant will let her write off her toy purchases! Read more articles by this author