millinery

A millinery shop in Paris, 1822.

Millinery refers to hats and other clothing sold by a milliner to women, men and children or the profession or business of designing, making, or selling hats, dresses, and hat trim to clients. Women would ask a milliner to remake their old clothing into new clothing. Historically, milliners, typically female shopkeepers, produced or imported for sale an inventory of garments for both men and women, including hats, shirts, cloaks, shifts, caps, and neckerchiefs. Customers would visit a millinery shop to examine and buy clothes (children's clothing, shirts, undergarments and caps, for example).

More recently, a milliner has become a hatter who designs, makes, sells or trims hats primarily for a female clientele.

The origin of the name is likely the Middle English Milener, as in an inhabitant of Milan or one who deals in items from Milan^[1].

Women's fascinators are a style of millinery: the use of feathers, materials, beads, pearls and crystals to make extravagant to petite fascinators for brides, weddings, christenings, ladies day at the horse races and many other glamorous occasions.

Notes

External links

• All Sewn Up: Millinery, Dressmaking, Clothing and Costume
• Tools and hatblocks for millinery, Maison la Forme, since 1962, Paris
• 18th Century millinery

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