A Forgotten Art: Millinery

Bird Cage Veil

         Okay, let’s be real- Millinery even sounds like a lost art form.  Hats were once considered a status symbol, only the elite could wear hats and this idea died out with the rebellious and free minded ideals of the hippies, got to love the hippies (I think of our ‘hipsters’ as a revival and tribute to our pot smoking parents).  And since then Millinery has never made its come back, not to where it used to be anyway.  There is definitely something to be said about this once elegant and often extravagant piece of apparel for today’s consumer: a little flare, some color for an outfit, a shield from the cold, and even a distraction from a bad hair day- “I just washed it and I can’t do a thing with it!”.

         Recently I discovered that Saddleback College has a Millinery class and met a girl named Misty who is currently taking the class and absolutely loves it.  She was working on a fastener that was reminiscent of the roaring 20s and looked like something a more daring version of myself would wear to a glamorous party.  She admitted she takes the greatest inspiration from her sisters who are always thinking up crazy ideas for new outfits- but mainly she got her creativity from her not so glamorous childhood.  A product of a struggling household most of her clothes were donations from friends and family of friends at her school- this is all well and fine until kids at school started declaring that Misty stole their clothes, how traumatic.  Luckily, Misty and her resilient and creative sisters began reforming their hand me down wardrobe by rearranging, cutting, sewing and even turning articles inside out to avoid such confrontations. This problem solving has lent a helpful hand in her millinery class where she has used such eclectic items as gears, buttons, and abandoned felt to adorn her hats.

                      Misty’s favorite aspect of the class are the videos her professor shows right out of the 50’s which are excusably sexist and a window into a different time when millinery was an everyday part of life.  The millinery class is a new aspect of Saddleback College’s Fashion Dept and a push toward an expanding accessories curriculum. Rumors of advanced millinery and more accessory classes in the works are almost too exciting to bear.  Until that happens however, and if you can’t make it to your own millinery class here are some adorable handmade hats and hair clips found on Etsy.com (click the captions to be taken to these seller's Etsy accounts).



Bamboo Cocktail Hat

Vintage Gold