Understanding Millinery: 9 Styles of Hats and Headwear

Millinery refers to all of the components of women’s hatmaking, including design, manufacturing, and sales. Milliners (hatmakers) have used their skills to create hats for special occasions, including the Kentucky Derby, Royal Ascot, and other high-fashion events, selling their wares in millinery shops dedicated to the production and distribution of women’s hats. Along with dressmaking, millinery was one of the most important trades of the 1800s and remains significant in the contemporary high-fashion world.

There are many different styles of headwear available for women for any special occasion:

1. 1. Boater: The boater is a stiffer style of headgear with a rigid, flat brim, typically made from straw or leather. While the boater is commonly associated with summer attire, it can be suitable for all seasons.
2. 2. Bowler: Bowler hats are smaller hats often made from wool felt. The brim is shallow and upturned and sometimes features a ribbon or other fabric decoration around the hat’s edge.
3. 3. Breton: The Breton features an upturned brim around the entire hat and can feature a domed crown or expose the back of the head.
4. 4. Cloche: The cloche is a round, bell-shaped hat, which peaked in popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. The cloche hat was invented in 1908 by milliner Caroline Reboux.
5. 5. Fedora: Fedoras have a curled brim and are creased in the middle lengthwise. They are usually made from a soft fabric, like felt or velvet, and come in various brim sizes.
6. 6. Pillbox: A pillbox hat is a small hat with a flat crown. It is brimless, has upright sides, and is named for its similarity to the vintage pillbox design style.
7. 7. Sinamay: Sinamay hats are lightweight and flexible. Milliners may shape and dye this hat style, which comes in various brim styles and sizes.
8. 8. Turban: A turban hat is a vertical style of headpiece representing the structure of a head turban. Turban hats can be crafted from many textures and patterns, giving your ensemble a distinctive look.
9. 9. Veiled top hat: A ladies’ top hat with veiling is a vintage, elegant look that can complement formalwear. This look works best for fancy or themed events.

There have been many notable milliners throughout history:

1. 1. John Boyd: Boyd was a UK-based milliner who designed handcrafted hats and fascinators for the British royal family, working as a milliner for over 75 years.
2. 2. Stephen Jones: Jones is a visionary milliner who has designed hats for Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Fiorucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Diana, Princess of Wales. Jones is considered one of the most important and innovative milliners of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
3. 3. Stetson: This massive milliner rose in popularity after their wide-brimmed style of hats appeared in many western films. Stetson eventually diversified their inventory to include more styles geared towards women.
4. 4. Philip Treacy: Irish milliner and producer of haute couture headwear, Treacy has been celebrated worldwide for his hat and handbag designs. Treacy has made hats for British royalty and A-list celebrities.

The main difference between the two hat-making professions is that a milliner is a hatmaker specializing in women's headwear (and works at a millinery shop), while a hatter makes hats for men (and works at a hattery).

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