What is millinery?

Millinery is the design, manufacture, and sale of hats and headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner (that's us!) The term comes from Milener from the merchants of Milan who sold the best quality bonnets, gloves, jewelry, lace, straw, and ribbons from the early 16th century.

How are hats made?

Milliners like me use an arsenal of techniques, skills, and training to create headwear that may be a patterned hat, such as an Irish wool cap, or a blocked hat, such as a felt fedora, formed over a wood form. These shapes may be machine- or hand-sewn (made-to-measure, couture) and may use a combination of water, steam, fixative, wire, and stitching to hold shape. Finished hats have decorative elements (feathers, hat bands, bows, lining etc.) and are sized with a grosgrain ribbon or leather sweatband interior.

What is a fascinator?

Fascinators, typically for special events, are a special category of headwear. Ours are typically sculptural designs and take extra time to develop in collaboration with clients to coordinate with an ensemble so we rarely list these on our site as they are custom. These confections are hand-crafted and typically float on the head with an elastic, comb, or headband.

While the fascinator hat concept goes back centuries, we can thank the fabulous milliner, Stephen Jones, for normalizing the term in modern day.

If we don’t have what you want/need/desire in stock, we are happy to create something special for you!

How do I measure my head to get my hat size?

When ordering online, it helps to know your head size to get a great fitting hat! To measure your head, use a soft measuring tape. Place the tape above your eyebrows around and over the biggest part of the bump at the back of your head (check out the image in the left margin.) Take the measurement with the tape pulled to feel comfortable to you; imagine you are placing a hat on your head and how you want it to rest and feel. Note the number in inches. Still not sure, we can schedule a call to help. Use our Contact page to reach out.

Why don’t hats in US stores fit my head?

We've heard lots of people say they have a hard time finding hats that fit because they have an unusual head size. While that may be true, conceptually, the world has become a one-size-fits-most culture (which is wildly untrue!) Unfortunately, today’s mass-produced hats sold in stores in the US were most likely manufactured in another country, and while they may be the average size in that country, they might not fit heads in the US.

At TGM, we celebrate the differences - size, taste, or otherwise. We make hats for humans and don’t assign gender to our products. We typically list the hat’s size in inches; soft hats such as bucket hats, usually fit a range of sizes, XS - XL.

For those who would like a custom size, shape, or design- bigger heads, thicker hair, no hair, medical conditions, delicate skin, etc. - if you need something that is a custom fit for you, your lifestyle, or event - we gotcha!

Do you design custom hats? How much does a custom hat cost?

Yes, we do custom hats. Tonya Gross Millinery can create a hat that fits your specifications. We believe in full transparency about the cost and use the simplest formula: cost of materials + cost of labor/time + shipping + tax = cost of your hat. This incorporates a hat fitting (in-person or virtual). You are paying for professional design, customer service, and fine quality materials. We share an estimate, you review and agree, then we invoice. A 50% deposit confirms your project will proceed. Balance is due upon delivery. Please contact us for a free estimate for your project.

What’s the turnaround time for a custom hat?

A custom hat means it is made for you. It is not made yet and requires your input on size, shape, materials, etc. Typically 2- 3 weeks’ turnaround, depending on the complexity of the design and the availability (or rarity) of materials. Ready-to-wear hats are in stock and ready to ship within 1-2 days.

Do you do hat repairs and refurbishments?

Yes! In 2019, we launched the RECAP™ brand, a refurbishment program to recycle reinvent and repurpose hats that have been inherited or found, and breathe new life into them. We can do this for your favorite hat or maybe one you've inherited from someone. We do repairs and refurbs and the price will vary based on each project. Please contact us for an estimate.

Do you make hats for men?

Heck yea! We don't place gender identifiers on our hats; we make hats for adult humans and can make adjustments to the size of the hat to fit you or make you something custom. We believe hats are empowering; we are passionate about hat making and getting more hats on heads! 

Do you have hats to rent for special occasions or photo shoots?

We keep a limited number of special occasion and more “editorial” hats in stock. By special occasion, we are referring to headwear for brides/weddings, Kentucky Derby, or fancy parties, which are typically seasonal and designed in coordination with attendees and their ensembles. Have a fancy event coming up? Contact us early to help you develop something special to coordinate with your event/ensemble!

We love editorial partnerships with stylists, photographer, and the media but these requests can be very specific to a theme or concept and may require time to develop or execute. Stylists + photographers, please message us about pulls for photo shoots.