  We study the general properties of hierarchical fermion mass matrices in
which the small eigenvalues are stable with respect to perturbations of the
matrix entries and we consider specific applications to the charged lepton
contribution to neutrino mixing. In particular, we show that the latter can
account for the whole lepton mixing. In this case a value of $\sin \theta_{13}
\gtrsim m_e/m_\mu \sin\theta_{23} \approx 0.03$, as observed, can be obtained
without the need of any fine-tuning, and present data allow to determine the
last row of the charged lepton mass matrix with good accuracy. We also consider
the case in which the neutrino sector only provides a maximal 12 rotation and
show that i) present data provide a $2\sigma$ evidence for a non-vanishing $31$
entry of the charged lepton mass matrix and ii) a plausible texture for the
latter can account at the same time for the atmospheric mixing angle, the
$\theta_{13}$ angle, and the deviation of the $\theta_{12}$ angle from $\pi/2$
without fine-tuning or tension with data. Finally, we show that the so-called
"inverted order" of the 12 and 23 rotations in the charged lepton sector can be
obtained without fine-tuning, up to corrections of order $m_e/m_\mu$.
