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"How we help real people explore their interests through millinery tips and information" | ||
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How the art of hatmaking actually began is a timeless, imaginative guess. Only the pictorial and written recordings of multiple societies costumes provide us with clues to the fascinating evolution of headwear up until now.
For instance, the elaborate " Tsumo-Kakushi " head dress of the Japanese bride is often so heavy that she needs assistance to walk. During the Roman Empire, brides wore yellow veils. In the Middle Ages, brides garlanded their hair with freshly gathered flowers. Today it seems that anything is acceptable.
Current news about head dress is woven like a shimmering thread into the vibrant tapestry of fashion and business writings. Is our blog vibrant too?
There is general consensus within the headwear trade that the decline in wearing dress hats, which began in 1939, has continued unabated in the general populations of Europe and North America. On the other hand, global competition amongst factory manufacturers of casual and environmental protection hats and caps is fierce.
The Making of a Hatter or Milliner
The basics of hatmaking are demonstrated on the web through a presentation of the hatmaking skills of the milliner by Diane Dudley and Mary Hall in New Zealand.
The process of making hats is explored in the following narratives:
How to Make a Felt Hat
Making the material called felt is referred to as felting - the means by which animal hairs are woven together. For amusing and factual trivia on felting, visit this historical presentation.
From Australian expertise comes an interesting explanation of making rabbit fur felt hats. Contrast this with a smaller American hatter of fine fur hats. A Texas hatter shows us how western felt hats are made on a larger scale in the USA.
From England, comes a history of felt hats . Canada is renowned for its hat history related to the fur trade .
How to Make a Straw Hat
The hat world traveller can experience how hats are made in Ecuador. You can also see a short video from France of how they are made. The reputation of the Panama Hat worldwide is so well known that a German firm is committed to saving the Montecristi Seda variety hat from extinction. Of course, hats are made around the world from varieties of straw. For illustration, read here how one American hatter makes straw hats. In France, here is how one milliner makes parasisal straw hats.
How You can Make a Hat
Read this free online book on hatmaking. Written many years ago, the concepts and principles explained are used by milliners everywhere today! Still need more information? Visit this wonderful sewing site for another online book and more. Guaranteed to blow your hat off!
BUT WAIT..... Felts and straws, albeit popular, are only a fraction of the hatmaking universe.
How to Make a Fabric Hat
Enter the fabric milieu where soft sewn hats, with or without a firm foundation, bring either environmental protection or dramatic fashion and style. From South Korea, comes an introduction into caps and headwear .
Costume
The art of making hats is best examined through web presentations of fashion costume history that are found on the online sites of:
* The Costume Site - Detailed collection of global dress history.
* The Costumer's Manifesto - Inspired catalog of web reference links for hat patterns, how to make them and the artistic home hobbyist.
* Canadian Museum of Civilization - Timely historical exhibits in the Collections section.
* 18th Century Colonial Williamsburg - Early American history of millinery practices.
* The History of Costume - Entertaining history in pictures for the costume designer.
Both Canada and the United States are beginning to see the rise of groups or clubs such as the Red Hat Society whose action appears to support a lively social atmosphere where hats are worn and enjoyed by the women who participate as part of their manner of dress. Click on the link above for more information and find out if there is a chapter in your area.
As the trend continues, there is increased marketing of vintage (i.e. used) hats and the creation of private "old" hat collections.
How often do you see the male and female leaders of our societies wearing hats in their public appearances? Do they reflect the taste of society or vice versa? Are you under the impression that dress hats are redundant?
Certainly, we can all enjoy the paintings, photography and art forms of the masters who captured dressy headwear in their works at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.
Without doubt, the Museum for Textiles will occasionally feature head dress as part of their exhibits, no matter what.
If so, both the Royal Ontario Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization will continue their traditions of displaying the forms of cultures past. We may even see how head dress was made in the "old days" at the National Museum of Science & Technology and then, maybe not.
However, we shall always have the magnificent creations of theatre and other numerous forms of entertainment.
From the Atelier
If you are like us, there are many things which interest you.
In the unorthodox digital universe, there is an expanding variety of ways for each of us to be informed and entertained. We found a web site you may also be interested in. Click here
As a milliner, knowing how costume was made throughout fashion history is basic knowledge. If you would like to find out more, this site goes beyond millinery into dressmaking over the centuries. Click here.
We like to relax in the life’s slow lane with some of the most popular magazines available as digital download books. Saves money, even in a big city with everything.
Hats in Arts & Humanities < Hats in the Arts | ||
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“Celebrating our 20th ANNIVERSARY of being On Top!” Companion Sites: Fashion Coverings - News Digest The Internet Millinery Hub - Tips The Internet Millinery Zone - Hats, Caps and Headwear Internet Millinery - Who's Who on the Web Copyright © 2000-2008 Gail Osaduke. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Mailing address: 20 Carluke Crescent, Suite 810, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2L 2J1 Telephone: 416-445-9170 | ||||||||||
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