1994

OBSESSIONS

Kellie Martin's Hats

Even at 14, the winsome actress understood that "Life Goes On," as her TV show was named, so she decided she'd commemorate the high points with souvenir hats. She started out timidly. "I didn't know if I'd have the nerve to wear a hat, but I bought one in 1989 on my first trip to New York," she says. "Everyone stands out there, so I figured I'd fit in." That straw hat with beige flowers led to the floppy maroon one she found in Paris, and soon her chapeaus numbered 20. Now 18 and the star of the CBS series "Christy" and an upcoming NBC-TV movie, "A Friend To Die For", Martin finds that her keepsakes can help on bad hair days -- and ward off minor headaches as well. "I'm not very famous, but sometimes people recognize me," she says, "unless I wear a hat."

(a very common :-) Photo Captioned:

"I like unfancy hats best," says Martin (lounging at her Southern California home with a sampling of her headwear). "They match my personality."