Journal

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 a London millinery atelier: the tools and the materials

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...

How to care for a felt or straw hat so it lasts for decades

A milliner's guide to handling, storing, drying, cleaning and reblocking a felt or straw hat so a hand-made piece keeps its shape for a lifetime.