Journal

How long a good hat lasts, and what makes one worth keeping

A hand-blocked felt or straw hat lasts decades if it is stored properly, because the structure can be rebuilt. It can be re-blocked into another shape, retrimmed and recoloured. A pressed factory h...

How to commission a hat, from first email to final fitting

A commission is five stages: the first conversation, the colour match, blocking, a fitting, and finishing. It takes one to four weeks for a remake of an existing design and longer for something new...

Bespoke, made to order and ready to wear: the three ways to buy a hat

Ready to wear means the hat exists and ships as it is. Made to order means an existing design is remade in your colour and to your measurement. Bespoke means the shape is designed for you from noth...

Hat designers in London: who makes what, and how to choose

There is no single best hat designer in London. There are several distinct kinds of maker, and the right one depends on whether you want a name, a fitting, a shape nobody else has, or a hat you wil...

How a made to order hat is commissioned

A made to order hat is commissioned in four stages: a conversation about the occasion and the outfit, a colour matched by hand against your own fabric, the blocking and hand work, then a final pass...

The mourning veil: where it comes from and who wears one now

The veil is the piece asked for most after a death and the one people are least sure they are allowed to wear. Where it comes from, what it still signals at a funeral, and who traditionally wears one.

How to build a hat wardrobe: the pieces that cover every occasion

Four pieces cover almost every occasion a year will ask of you: a summer straw, a felt hat for the cold months, a headband for evening and one statement piece. Here is what each one does, what it c...

Inside the atelier: the tools and materials of hand-made millinery

How a couture hat is actually made, from wooden hat blocks and the differences between parasisal, sisal, pinokpok and felt to blocking, stiffener, wire and hand stitching. Written for anyone decidi...

Choosing a hat colour that photographs well at races and weddings

Mid tones with texture hold their shape in photographs, while very pale hats blow out under sun and very dark ones lose their sculpting. A practical guide to hat colour for races and weddings, cove...

Why formal headwear is being worn again, from inside the workroom

A London milliner's view on the return of formal headwear: the occasion calendar that makes a good hat worth the money, the dress codes that still apply, and what separates a hand-blocked piece fro...