Milliner - Career Advice - Manufacturing and Production

Manufacturing & Production

Practical Artistic or Creative

Milliners design and make hats and other headgear such as caps, berets, bonnets, fascinators and bridal headpieces, using materials such as felt, fabric, fur, leather, straw, artificial flowers, Future Growth Decline ribbons, braids and feathers.

Milliners mark out and cut patterns to create designs for hats. They then cut out the various components and assemble the hat. This may involve twisting, rolling, folding, reinforcing, sewing, steaming and pressing various components. They may also alter or renovate hats. They may also be involved in displaying hats or preparing them for sale.

ANZSCO description: 393299: Milliners design and make hats and other headgear using a variety of materials.

Alternative names: Hat Maker

Specialisations: Hat Designer

Knowledge, skills and attributes

A milliner needs: Rose hat

good vision for detail work and good hand-eye coordination
to enjoy creative or artistic work
to enjoy practical work
patience and perseverance
an understanding of fashion trends
enjoy practical and manual activities
artistic sense of colour and design
understanding of and interest in fashion trends.

Duties and Tasks

Milliners may perform the following tasks:

interpret fashion trends and use them in designing hats and other headgear
mark and cut patterns to desired shape and size, lay the pattern onto fabric and cut around it
shape, cut, twist, roll, fold and reinforce fabrics and other materials with wire to gain desired effect
assemble hats by hand or using a sewing machine
steam and press material into shape by hand and, if needed, stiffen it by using a special solution
sew trimmings such as ribbons, buckles, braids or chains onto hats
operate semi-automatic blocking machines for mass production
alter, renovate and re-block (re-shape) existing hats
package and dispatch hats for customers
display, fit and sell hats and accessories.

Period Hat

Strawhat

Did You Know?

Millinery has existed in Britain since 1700. In English courts the term milliner was used and this was derived from the term for travelling haberdashers from Milan in Italy. These travelling sales people sold all the items necessary to dress and were called millaners.

Model wearing head piece

In France hats were made by hatmakers called chapeliers. Today the term modiste is used in France.

Today technically a hatmaker makes hats for men whilst a milliner makes hats for women.

(Source: Fashion Era)

Working conditions

A milliner would normally work 38 hours per week, Monday to Friday. They usually work in an air conditioned workshop. If they work in a large organisation they may only perform one part of the process and so the work can be very repetitive.

Milliners employed by mass-production firms usually perform single tasks, such as trimming hats with ribbon or sewing in headbands. Milliners making 'semi-model' (limited production) hats hand trim shapes that have been moulded by machine. Highly skilled milliners create designs in fabric or on paper that can be followed by other milliners.

Tools and technologies

Milliners need to be proficient with a number of hand tools for working the various components as well as traditional and specialist sewing machines.

Education and training/entrance requirements

To become a milliner, you usually have to complete a Certificate III or Certificate IV in Millinery.