Millinery refers to the production of hats and accessories for women. It was a respectable profession for women in the past, but today it is less recognized. However, there are still many outstanding designers in the field of millinery, and some people work to make costume hats.
Millinery has two definitions. It can refer to hats and various accessories made for women, and it can also refer to the actual production end of hat making, especially when such hats are designed for women. The term hatter tended to refer to chaplains who made hats for men, and possibly women as well, but in general, the milliner made hats for women only.
The term millinery may be relatively unrecognized by many people today. In general, we tend not to wear hats to complement every outfit. There are some exceptions; some religions may require you to cover your head when going out. In other cases, many people still wear hats to church. As a general rule, however, we don’t view the hat as the essential fashion accessory it used to be.
In earlier centuries, however, millinery was an important profession, given the high demands on hats for everyday wear and formal occasions. It was also a profession that was held by many women: hats made by women for women. Being a milliner was considered a decent and respectable job for women in the 18th and 19th centuries and into the early 20th century. A survey of workers in the United States in 1900 found that approximately 82,000 female workers were employed at the time. Today the field has opened up to include many more male millers, especially when hats are made in design houses, which tend to be dominated by male designers.
You can also use the term millinery to refer to the decoration of pre-made hats. The bow, feathers, ribbon, or other artfully added to a hat is considered part of a milliner. Some people are particularly adept at taking simple hats and turning them into works of art, and may pursue this profession as a hobbyist or create beautifully decorated hats as a full-time pursuit.
While the hat doesn’t quite have the same place in women’s fashion that it did in the past, there are still plenty of them in the field of millinery today. You can take hat-making courses at fashion design schools, community colleges, and the like, and there are even professional millinery associations around the world. Most design houses still employ millers or have a millinery department, as there are many, particularly those in high-end fashion, who still wear hats on a regular basis. For example, Queen Elizabeth II, and indeed any female member of the royal family nowadays, often wears hats when appearing in public. Also, some people work to make costume hats; a film or play from the period would be almost unrecognizable without many hats from that period.
Shops dedicated solely to displaying and selling women’s hats are harder to find. If you look at department stores, you may find some hats and some that serve the purpose of keeping your head warm or your face shaded, rather than being a fashion statement. However, you will find that there are still many outstanding designers in the field of millinery, although their creations may be considerably more eclectic than in the past.
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