Fairfield resident Allyson Mandelbaum made a pivot to found "Shady Lady," which she says is the country's first - and only - company that makes hats specifically for women. It comes after a 15-year career as a reality television producer.

"I actually have zero experience in fashion or business, but, here I am," Mandelbaum joked from the top floor of her home, which serves as Shady Lady headquarters.

"I was always very jealous of my husband who could like throw on a baseball cap and walk out the door and look put together, and hats never fit me well, like I just looked ridiculous," she explained.

After finding that a few of her friends had the same issue, Mandelbaum began to research and learned there was a reason hats always seemed too big on her.

"A lot of hats, they say they're unisex, it's all the average measurements of a man's head, not a woman's head, which is on average two centimeters smaller," Mandelbaum explained.

Once she learned that, she began work to re-construct the measurements based on the average woman's head.

The result was a new hat model, which Mandelbaum says has a shorter dome. The design allows the hat to rest above a woman's ears, like it does on men, as well as a shorter brim to make it easier to see out of.

The insides of the hats also give a special stone, washing treatment to make them softer. Mandelbaum says it is so they can be worn all day without giving anyone a headache, or even, creating hat head.

"I knew what I wanted," she said, "and when I started then working with a manufacturer, it took us over a year to get the sample that was like, 'this is the hat that I've been looking for' and I would want to wear."

It turns out other people apparently wanted to wear it to. Shady Lady hats are now carried in big-name stores like Target and Macy's.

"We're not saving lives over here," Mandelbaum laughed, "but I hope helping women feel more confident and comfortable leaving the house."

Mandelbaum has also been invited to travel to Los Angeles, where the hats will be featured in a pre-Academy Awards Ceremony celebrity gift lounge.

"It's one of those 'pinch me' moments," she admitted. "It's never too late to start something new, or try something new or change your career and really change your life."

Mandelbaum says she hopes to continue to grow Shady Lady, by potentially partnering with some female-focused organizations and sports teams.