Journal

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...

How to choose a men's hat for your face, height and build

A practical fitting guide for men buying a hat: how to measure head circumference properly, what the centimetre figure means, and how brim width, crown height and the way a hat sits should answer t...

Trilby vs fedora vs panama: how to tell them apart and which one to wear

A trilby has a narrow brim that turns up sharply at the back. A fedora has a wider snap brim and a taller crown. A panama is a material rather than a shape. Compare all three across brim width, cro...

What men actually wear to Royal Ascot, enclosure by enclosure

A plain guide to the men's Royal Ascot dress code, enclosure by enclosure: morning dress and the top hat requirement in the Royal Enclosure, suits in Queen Anne and Village, hiring versus buying, a...

Buying a couture hat from the United States: shipping, duties, returns and US dollar prices

American clients order from Maria Monica London every season. Prices show in US dollars, delivery to the United States is insured and arrives in three to five business days once dispatched, and bes...

Kentucky Derby hats: what to wear and how to order from London

The Kentucky Derby has no strict hat rule, but tradition is everything: a wide-brimmed hat or a bold headpiece in spring colour is the look at Churchill Downs. Here is what to wear, the colours tha...