The pillbox is the shape that made occasion millinery wearable. Small, flat crowned, set back on the head, it carries a strong outfit without shouting over it, and it suits a face that has never worn a hat before.
Every pillbox here is blocked to your head measurement and made by hand in the London atelier. Straw for summer, felt and velvet for the colder months, silk when the outfit asks for it.
Wearing one
Three things that decide a pillbox
Where it sits
Set back on the head rather than low on the brow. That is what lifts the silhouette and keeps your face open in every photograph taken that day.
How it stays on
A comb, an elastic or both, fitted to your own measurement so the piece holds through a full day without a single adjustment.
Size and fitStraight back or tilted
Straight back reads classic and formal. A tilt reads softer and younger. Height and angle are both set by hand, so a commission can be tuned to your face.
Across the atelier
Other shapes and occasions
Wide-brimmed hats
When the day is outdoors and you want shade as well as shape. Brims from 10cm, blocked to your own measurement.
Wide-brimmed hatsFedora and trilby
The everyday end of the workroom. A pinched crown and a brim that holds its line, in straw for summer and felt for winter.
Fedora and trilbyBerets
Blocked felt that holds its own volume, and the one shape that sits behind a fringe and leaves it alone.
BeretsMother of the bride
Pieces already made in the register a wedding asks for, then sized and coloured to your outfit on commission.
Mother of the brideMade for you
Monika will design a pillbox around your outfit, match the colour by hand to your fabric and block it to your measurement. One to four weeks from the first conversation.
A pillbox is a small hat with a flat crown, straight sides and no brim, worn set back on the head so the face stays open. It is the easiest occasion hat to wear well, which is why it is so often a first hat. Every piece here can be remade in your colour and blocked to your own head measurement.
What makes a hat a pillbox
Three things define the shape. A flat crown, straight upright sides and no brim at all. Take one of those away and you have something else: add a brim and it becomes a boater or a cocktail hat, round the crown and it becomes a toque.
Height is the setting that changes the whole look. A shallow pillbox of two to three centimetres sits quietly and lets the outfit lead. A deep pillbox of six centimetres or more reads architectural and becomes the strongest line in the photograph. Height is decided on the block before anything else, so it is the first thing to say when you commission one.
How to position a pillbox
Set it back about two fingers from the hairline so it sits level on the crown of the head, clear of the brow. Worn low on the forehead a pillbox shortens the face. Worn back it lifts the whole silhouette and keeps your eyes open in every photograph taken that day.
A slight tilt to one side reads softer and younger. Straight back reads formal and classic, which is the line most people picture. Either way the hat is held with a comb, a covered elastic or both, fitted to your own measurement so it holds through a ceremony, a lunch and a long afternoon without one adjustment.
For where the shape came from and how it has been worn since 1961, read the pillbox hat: history and how to wear one.
Made to order in your colour
Send a swatch or a clear photograph of your fabric and Monika matches the felt, parasisal straw, silk or velvet by hand, then blocks the shape to your head measurement. Crown height, trim and veiling are all chosen with you. Allow one to four weeks from the first conversation.
Pillboxes are a mother of the bride favourite because they carry a strong outfit without competing with the dress. See the mother of the bride collection for pieces already made in that register, or begin a commission.
Questions
What is a pillbox hat?
A pillbox is a small hat with a flat crown, straight upright sides and no brim, worn set back on the head. It takes its name from the round boxes chemists once used for pills. Height runs from a shallow two centimetres to a deep six or more, and that height decides whether the hat reads quiet or architectural.
How do you wear a pillbox hat?
Set a pillbox back about two fingers from the hairline so it sits level on the crown of the head, clear of the brow. Tilt it slightly to one side for a softer look or keep it straight for a formal one. Secure it with a comb or a covered elastic fitted to your own measurement.
What hairstyle works under a pillbox?
A low chignon, a French pleat or smooth hair tucked behind the ears all work well, because a pillbox needs a clean surface to sit against. Build the hair first and pin the hat into it. Avoid volume on the crown, which pushes the hat off its angle, and avoid a high ponytail directly under the back edge.
Are pillbox hats formal enough for a wedding?
Yes. A pillbox is full occasion millinery and is worn as mother of the bride, mother of the groom and guest headwear at church weddings and civil ceremonies. With veiling or lace it carries the most formal dress code in the room. It also stays comfortable through a seated dinner, where a wide brim becomes a problem for the row behind you.
Can you make a pillbox in my colour?
Yes. Send a swatch or a clear photograph of your fabric and Monika matches the felt, straw, silk or velvet by hand, then blocks the hat to your own head measurement. Crown height, trim and veiling are chosen with you. Allow one to four weeks.