What Do You Call a Person Who Makes Hats?

Did you know that there are multiple words used for a person who makes hats for a living? If the hats are for women, the term is “milliner,” a holdover from the 1700s, when trim and materials used for women’s elaborate hats were delivered by traveling salesmen from Milan, Italy.

If the hats being made are for men, it's not as easy to answer the question of what you call a person who makes hats, because the term can vary. The technically correct term, and the term used largely in past years, is “hatter.” However, in modern times it’s evolved, and these people as well as milliners are often just referred to simply as hat makers.

History of Hat Makers

Knowing what you call a person who makes hats is not the end of the story- it is also interesting to understand how hats, and hat makers, have evolved. It’s an interesting fact to note that hats were originally worn for protection, not for fashion. It wasn’t until the 15th century or so that women, who weren’t exposed to the same danger as men, began to wear hats for fashion purposes, and it was around this time that they became not just protective headwear, but a symbol of status.

Straw Hats

In the 1800s, straw hats came into being, providing people with lightweight, cool protection from summer suns. These hats were worn by both men and women, but eventually evolved into mainly a female accessory as trim such as velvet and silk flowers began to be common fixtures.

Cowboy Hats

Hats for both men and women took a turn for the functional around 1865, which is when John Stetson developed the famous cowboy hat. Its unique shape and rugged construction provided sun protection, directed rain away from the neck while on horseback, and could, in a pinch, double as a bowl.

Sunbonnets

As for women, the mid-1800s saw the development of the bonnet. A sunbonnet, which was typically made of cloth, had long, curved sides that hid the face. In a world of hard work and long wagon trips across undeveloped land as America began to develop, the bonnet protected women from the sun and let them keep their skin soft and un-tanned – perhaps a way of hanging onto civility in a quickly-changing world.

Fashion Hats

As society moved forward into the age of technology, hats again became decorative more than functional, a sign of life becoming easier for both men and women. New York became a leading force of fashion styling for the rest of the country into the mid-1900s, which made sense since the city was bursting with new milliners from Europe, bringing over the newest styles.

By the 1960s, the hat was on its way out of mainstream popularity and less people wore hats or knew what you call a person who makes hats. As women gained independence, as life became more hectic and frivolous fashion became less of a status symbol, and as modern hair styles began to develop, the hat became almost a relic. It’s an interesting idea held by many that president John F. Kennedy, who didn’t wear hats, was the reason men stopped wearing them altogether.

Status of Hats Today

Today, hats exist in cold climates as protection, and they exist in the form of ball caps on sunny days. They do sometimes make an appearance as a fashion statement, but they’re still uncommon enough to be noted. As said by Louise Green, a British milliner, ”Wearing a hat is like having a baby or a puppy; everyone stops to coo and talk about it.”