Milliner VS. Hatter

Look at a hat from across the room, and you may notice its color first. A maker is likely to notice its shape: the curve of the brim, the height of the crown, and the small choices that give the piece its character.

The words milliner and hatter come from different traditions. “Milliner” likely grew from a word associated with Milan, a city known for fashionable goods. Over time, it became closely associated with makers and sellers of women’s headwear.

“Hatter” has traditionally been used for makers of hats, often including structured styles associated with men’s dress. These are histories of the words, though, not rules about who may make or wear a particular hat today

Both traditions call for an understanding of structure. A milliner might build a foundation, cover it in fabric, and finish it with carefully placed trim. A hatter might focus on blocking felt and shaping a firm brim or distinctive crown. In either case, the details determine whether the finished piece feels effortless.

The crown is a good place to see that skill at work. It is the upper part of the hat, and a change in its shape can change the whole impression. A smooth, open crown feels different from a center crease; a low, rounded shape tells a different story from a tall, sharply defined one.

That is what I love about making hats. Materials may give me a starting point, but shaping them gives the hat its personality. Whether a piece is soft and embellished or crisp and structured, I want someone to look at it and feel that it was made with intention.

The Art and Architecture:

Millinery is an art form, and is in the business of designing milliner designs, handcraftsmanship, such as covering hats with various materials and fabrics. Milliners also do hat blocking to create the shape of the hat, which is often done using a hat mold. They also do pattern cutting, trimming feathers or ribbons, tailoring the flowers, and often adding buttons or chain trimming to create different stunning designs.

Millinery is making something out of nothing, transforming varied materials like felt, buckram frames, straw, and silk into expressive art pieces, and handcrafting hats from scratch. Milliners often offer bespoke services to match specific outfits for events such as weddings or horse races.

Definitions:

Milliner: Traditionally specializes in bespoke or high fashion women's headwear.

Hatter: Traditionally specializes in headwear for men, and often works with materials such as felt.

The term for a craftsperson who makes hats is a milliner (for women’s hats) or a hatter (for men’s hats). Buckram Frames which they often use, is the stiff foundation material of the hat. 

Buckram is a stiff, woven cotton or synthetic fabric that has been treated with a sizing agent (starch or glue) to give it structure.

Millinery Hat Styles:

• Fascinator

• Pillbox hat

• Cloche: A close-fitting, bell-shaped hat, popular in the 1920’s.

• Ginamay: Lightweight, structured headpieces made from abaca tree fibers

• Boater: A stiff, flat-brimmed hat often made of straw

• Bowler: Hats are smaller, often made from wool felt. The brim is shallow and upturned.

• Fedora

• PorkPie 

Popular Hat Crown Styles:

1. Round/ Open Crown: This simple, dome-like shape without any creases. It is the defining characteristic of very popular everyday wear like baseball caps, beanies, bucket hats, and bowler hats

2.  Center- Dent: This style features a single crease running down the exact center of the crown from front to back often with pinch marks on the sides. It is widely used in fedora hats, which are known for their classic, versatile style, and have been popular for decades

3. Tear Drop Crown/ C-Crown: Also known as the c-crown, this shape of  this crown features a rounded indentation that looks like a teardrop or a c shape when viewed from above. It's a popular choice for both dress hats and cowboy hats because of its sleek, versatile, and elegant profile.

4. Cattleman Crease: This is the most popular and desired crease shape for cowboy hats. It's a deeper version of the center dent, featuring a distinct deep center crease with two indentations on the sides, giving the hat a tall and defined profile.

5. Telescope Crown: A common characteristic of the pork pie hat, this style has a flat top with a simple, shallow circular indentation, giving it a low, rounded, and often retro appearance. 

6. Diamond Crown: This crown features a diamond shape when viewed from above, with four distinct folds. It's often seen on more contemporary fedoras and appreciated for its unique modern look.