Hat-making or millinery is the fashion design, manufacture and sale of and other headwear.
Historically, milliners made and sold a range of accessories for clothing and hairstyles.[ - "2. Originally: a seller of fancy wares, accessories, and articles of (female) apparel, esp. such as were originally made in Milan. Subsequently: spec. a person who designs, makes, or sells women's hats."
] In France, milliners are known as marchand(e)s de modes (), rather than being specifically associated with hat-making. In Britain, however, milliners were known to specialize in hats by the beginning of the Victorian era.
The millinery industry benefited from industrialization during the 19th century.
Many prominent , including Rose Bertin, Jeanne Lanvin, and Coco Chanel, began as milliners.
Origin
The term "milliner" or "Milener" originally meant someone from
Milan, in northern Italy, in the early 16th century. It referred to Milanese merchants who sold fancy bonnets, gloves, jewellery and cutlery. In the 16th to 18th centuries, the meaning of "milliner" gradually changed in meaning from "a foreign merchant" to "a dealer in small articles relating to dress". Although the term originally applied to men, from 1713 "milliner" gradually came to mean a woman who makes and sells bonnets and other accessories for women.
[
]
Learning of millinery
Milliners work independently based on job order specifications or their designs, observing the regulations regarding work safety, health protection, environmental protection, and ensuring quality and efficiency. They combine their uniqueness, innovation, and technical skills and use different materials and auxiliary materials. In some cases, they plan and organize their schedules in cooperation with their customers' various needs. They also collaborate with the team or the apprentice to the presentation and sale of the products.
The millinery industry's apprenticeship culture is commonly seen since the 18th century, while milliner was more like a stylist and created hats or bonnets to go with costumes and chose the laces, trims, and accessories to complete an ensemble piece. Millinery apprentices learned hat-making and styling, running the business, and skills to communicate with customers.
There are many renowned millinery schools located in Europe, especially in London, Paris, and Italy. During COVID-19, many millinery courses were taught virtually.
Special tools and materials used by milliners
A wooden
hat block is an intricately carved wood form shaped by skillful woodworkers. Hat blocks are the tools of the trade for milliners in creating a unique hat crown shape. Some of the hat blocks are ensembles with crown and brimmed, while some are only with crown or brim or designed for
. Milliners always have an extensive collection of different hat blocks because there are specific hat sizes and custom shapes for every hat block. In the blocking process of a hat, milliners used push pins and a hammer to hold the adjustable string along the crown's collar and the brim's edge.
A floral-making iron is a unique iron used by milliners to create different floral petals or leaves as the ornament for hat decoration. In the past, candles were used to heat these irons with various shapes of metal in one set. Nowadays, these irons are electric. A ball-shaped metal heading is commonly used for the curve of floral pastels.
Milliners often use buckram, a stiff cotton (occasionally linen or horse hair) cloth with a loose weave. Millinery buckram is impregnated with a starch which allows it to be softened in water, pulled over a hat block, and left to dry into a hard shape.
Notable hatters and milliners
This is a partial list of people who have had a significant influence on hat-making and millinery.
Hatters
-
International Hat Company, an American manufacturer credited with inventing one of America's most popular early 20th century harvest hats for field hands, farmers, and workmen.
-
Hawley Products Company, an American manufacturer credited with inventing the tropical shaped, pressed fiber sun helmet used from World War II through the Persian Gulf War.
-
John Cavanagh, an American hatter whose innovations included manufacturing regular, long and wide-oval fitting hats to enable customers to find better-fitting ready-to-wear hats.
-
James Lock & Co. of London (founded 1676), is credited with the introduction of the bowler hat in 1849.
[ Bowler hat makes a comeback Telegraph (London). Retrieved 9 June 2012]
-
JJ Hat Center in New York (founded 1911) an American hat maker, which claims to be New York City's oldest hat store.
[ The City Visible | The Hatters NYT (New York). Retrieved 4 August 2023]
-
Teofilo Garcia, recognized as a National Living Treasure in the Philippines for pioneering the tabungaw hat, a headwear made from gourd.
-
John Batterson Stetson, credited with inventing the classic cowboy hat
[Reynolds, William and Rich Rand (1995) The Cowboy Hat book. p. 8 ]
-
Borsalino, with the famous "Borsalino" Fedora hat.
Milliners
-
Kate Bartholomew – American hat designer; created the "Jazz Cap"
-
Vanilla Beane – American milliner in Washington, D.C.; served the African American community and notable civil rights activists, among others
-
Anna Ben-Yusuf – wrote The Art of Millinery (1909), one of the first reference books on millinery technique
[Jones, Stephen & ]
-
Rose Bertin – milliner and modiste to Marie Antoinette; often described as the world's first celebrity fashion designer
-
Mildred Blount – first African-American milliner to design hats for Hollywood films Gone with the Wind and The Easter Parade; clientele included Joan Crawford, Louise Beavers, Marian Anderson, Gloria Vanderbilt, and other Hollywood stars
-
John Boyd – London milliner; known for the pink tricorn hat worn by Diana, Princess of Wales
-
Coco Chanel – creator of the Chanel fashion house, and of Chanel No.5 perfume
-
Lilly Daché – American milliner of the mid-20th century
-
Frederick Fox – Australian-born milliner; noted for his designs for the British royal family
-
Akio Hirata – Japanese milliner; collaborated with many Japanese fashion designers, including Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo; also created and designed hats for Japanese Empress Michiko since 1966
-
Mr. John – American milliner; considered by some to be the millinery equivalent of Christian Dior in the 1940s and 1950s
-
Stephen Jones – London milliner; considered one of the world's most radical and important milliners of the late 20th and early 21st centuries
[ Biography of Stephen Jones on the V&A Museum website, accessed 1 April 2009]
-
Simone Mirman – known for her designs for Elizabeth II and other members of the British royal family
-
Barbara Pauli – fashion milliner and modiste in Sweden during the Gustavian era
-
Caroline Reboux – milliner of the 19th and early 20th centuries
-
David Shilling – milliner, artist and designer, based in Monaco
-
Justin Smith – milliner creating bespoke and couture hats under the J Smith Esquire brand
-
Gladys Tamez – Mexican-American milliner; notable for her work with Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Kendall Jenner, among others
-
Philip Treacy – Irish-born milliner; first milliner for eighty years to be invited to exhibit at the Paris haute couture shows
See also
External links
