Milliner Reports
What is a milliner? Most people don't know what a milliner is. A milliner is a 17th century clothing maker and designer. They also remake old clothing into new clothing since most people of that time could sometimes not afford new clothing. They are the makers of shirts, shifts, aprons, neckerchiefs, caps, cloaks, hoods, hats, muffs, ruffles,riding attire, and trim for gowns. Milliners also sell materials such as fabric, buttons, and lace trim. They use needles, thimbles, scissors, and irons to make clothing. They sometimes use ostrich feathers and ribbon for decoration. Milliners get more customers in the back to school season than in other seasons. The amount of customers they have depends on when their customers need clothing.
If you wanted to be a milliner you first had to be an apprentice. Girls age 11-18 were apprentices. An apprenticeship could last anywhere from about six through seven years. The apprentices, during their apprenticeship, learned how to sew, mend, cut, fit, and iron. The milliners also taught the apprentices how to read, write, and do math. The apprentices lived with the milliners. Once the apprentices were done with their apprenticeship they would then go off and start their own millinery shop.
The milliners were also responsible for making and repairing hats. Hats were necessary for keeping the hot Virginia sun off of the working women’s faces. They used hat blocks to repair and make hats. A hat block was made of wood. The hat blocks came in different sizes so the milliners could make different size hats. Hats were usually decorated with different colored ribbons.
Milliners used many different types of fabric. The materials that they used are cotton, linen, silk and wool. Using different weaves of theses materials made the fabric they liked to use. They also sometimes used animal fur to make clothing. They would blend fabrics together to make different colors. Sometimes the fabrics could change color in the light. This happened when you wove different colored materials together. The milliners ordered goods from England. This was a risk because they had to hope they would sell the goods they made because they paid for the goods that they ordered with their own money. Dresses took a long time and are lots of work for the milliners to make. Dresses usually took about nine to ten hours to make. They also cost differently depending on the type of fabric.
The fashions that the milliners make are a little different from the fashions in England. This is because in the summer it gets hotter in Virginia than in England so the clothing must be of a lighter weight. They also wear a lot of white and unlined clothes so they do not get hot.
The Milliners clothing had a certain order on which they were worn. First they would put on the stays. This made them look skinny. Second they would put on the pocket. this is so they could hold things. Third the hoops. This gave their gown a shape. Forth the petticoats. This goes over the hoops and makes their gown look poofy. Fifth the gown. This went over the petticoats and was usually decorated with lace, animal fur, trim, and bows. After all of that they put on accessories like the mitts, shoes, and cap.
The milliner trade is very interesting. Milliners put in a lot of work to make their clothing durable, lightweight, and fashionable. Without milliners in the seventeenth century, people would have to repair and make their own clothing and hats. Overall the millinery trade is a very needed and important trade.
If you wanted to be a milliner you first had to be an apprentice. Girls age 11-18 were apprentices. An apprenticeship could last anywhere from about six through seven years. The apprentices, during their apprenticeship, learned how to sew, mend, cut, fit, and iron. The milliners also taught the apprentices how to read, write, and do math. The apprentices lived with the milliners. Once the apprentices were done with their apprenticeship they would then go off and start their own millinery shop.
The milliners were also responsible for making and repairing hats. Hats were necessary for keeping the hot Virginia sun off of the working women’s faces. They used hat blocks to repair and make hats. A hat block was made of wood. The hat blocks came in different sizes so the milliners could make different size hats. Hats were usually decorated with different colored ribbons.
Milliners used many different types of fabric. The materials that they used are cotton, linen, silk and wool. Using different weaves of theses materials made the fabric they liked to use. They also sometimes used animal fur to make clothing. They would blend fabrics together to make different colors. Sometimes the fabrics could change color in the light. This happened when you wove different colored materials together. The milliners ordered goods from England. This was a risk because they had to hope they would sell the goods they made because they paid for the goods that they ordered with their own money. Dresses took a long time and are lots of work for the milliners to make. Dresses usually took about nine to ten hours to make. They also cost differently depending on the type of fabric.
The fashions that the milliners make are a little different from the fashions in England. This is because in the summer it gets hotter in Virginia than in England so the clothing must be of a lighter weight. They also wear a lot of white and unlined clothes so they do not get hot.
The Milliners clothing had a certain order on which they were worn. First they would put on the stays. This made them look skinny. Second they would put on the pocket. this is so they could hold things. Third the hoops. This gave their gown a shape. Forth the petticoats. This goes over the hoops and makes their gown look poofy. Fifth the gown. This went over the petticoats and was usually decorated with lace, animal fur, trim, and bows. After all of that they put on accessories like the mitts, shoes, and cap.
The milliner trade is very interesting. Milliners put in a lot of work to make their clothing durable, lightweight, and fashionable. Without milliners in the seventeenth century, people would have to repair and make their own clothing and hats. Overall the millinery trade is a very needed and important trade.
The trades person I studied in Williamsburg was a milliner. There are two reported origins of the word milliner. One is from the word milaner, which means a native of Milan, Italy or a dealer in goods from Milan, because at that time Milan was famous for its fancy goods. The other place the word milliner comes from the Latin word mille which means one thousand because they could sell a thousand different things in their stores. Millinery shops were one of the only businesses that women were aloud to own and manage in Colonial times. In the 18th century milliners were usually always women. From the fabric milliner’s sold in their shops they made: hats, trim for gowns, shirts, shifts, aprons, caps, cloaks, hoods, muffs, neckerchiefs, petticoats, hoops, gloves, undergarments, and ruffles. The millinery shops also sold lots of different goods.
A milliner had an amazing job, but you need to know some things before becoming one. First you need to become an apprentice. An apprentice is someone who lives with someone who you are not related to, who is a professional at what they do. A milliner teaches young girls, from ages 11 to 18, how to read, write, and do math. These girls also learned how to cut, fit, sew, iron, and mend clothing along with learning how to do laundry.
Back in the 18th Century, in Williamsburg, there were six millinery shops. All of these shops were ran by women. These women needed to know about fashion, business and had to be smart, like in math, reading, writing, sewing, things like that. Milliners used several tools in their business including: pins made of brass or tin-plated, irons, scissors (they were called dressmaking shears), needles, and thimbles to sew and make things. And yes, they did use animal fur in some things, most likely placing animal fur in coats. Milliners needed to be good at sewing to be good at there job. They worked with different materials. Milliners often made shifts. Shifts are very dangerous, and could KILL YOU! They mess up your stomach and compress your waist, but they made you look skinnier!
Milliners were not only tradeswomen who make fashion accessories but they also sold a lot of imported goods from England. Milliners sold lots of different things such as: hats, hair pieces, dolls, jewelry, shoes, soaps, lottery tickets, teapots, games, medicines and clocks. Milliners also sold sewing items including: fabric, buttons, lace trim, and ribbons. These millinery stores are very similar to modern stores because these stores sell a variety of things. The colonist came from England, and even though they were in a different place, the fashion was not that different. The dresses were a bit lighter than the dresses in England (it was warmer in Virginia than England). They had all the colors of the rainbow… for clothes. And maybe even more! When the light reflexes, the colors can mix into a new one.
Along with all the items milliners make, people would ask milliners to remake their old clothes into new ones. Milliners would usually employed people called mantua makers, who could make dresses or gowns for women. Sometimes you could get lots of money being a milliner. A dresses fabric contributed 80 to 90 percent of the price of the dress. Milliners were the only ones who could sell fabric so they made lots of money from the tailors and mantua makers. Sometimes you could get lots of money being a milliner. Milliners dress nicely, when we went to the milliner and tailor shops, the milliner was wearing a very fancy dress, and very old fashioned accessories. The milliner there worked with the tailor. If you are wondering what the HARDEST part of being a milliner is, the milliner that we talked to said, “You have good days and bad ones” . I think she meant some days you have lots of business and lots to do and other days you do not have very much business. She could of also mean that on busier days you get less things done than on less busier days.
Milliners most likely worked hard! It was a really hard life back then! Again, milliners were awesome, cool, great, and literally brilliant!
A milliner had an amazing job, but you need to know some things before becoming one. First you need to become an apprentice. An apprentice is someone who lives with someone who you are not related to, who is a professional at what they do. A milliner teaches young girls, from ages 11 to 18, how to read, write, and do math. These girls also learned how to cut, fit, sew, iron, and mend clothing along with learning how to do laundry.
Back in the 18th Century, in Williamsburg, there were six millinery shops. All of these shops were ran by women. These women needed to know about fashion, business and had to be smart, like in math, reading, writing, sewing, things like that. Milliners used several tools in their business including: pins made of brass or tin-plated, irons, scissors (they were called dressmaking shears), needles, and thimbles to sew and make things. And yes, they did use animal fur in some things, most likely placing animal fur in coats. Milliners needed to be good at sewing to be good at there job. They worked with different materials. Milliners often made shifts. Shifts are very dangerous, and could KILL YOU! They mess up your stomach and compress your waist, but they made you look skinnier!
Milliners were not only tradeswomen who make fashion accessories but they also sold a lot of imported goods from England. Milliners sold lots of different things such as: hats, hair pieces, dolls, jewelry, shoes, soaps, lottery tickets, teapots, games, medicines and clocks. Milliners also sold sewing items including: fabric, buttons, lace trim, and ribbons. These millinery stores are very similar to modern stores because these stores sell a variety of things. The colonist came from England, and even though they were in a different place, the fashion was not that different. The dresses were a bit lighter than the dresses in England (it was warmer in Virginia than England). They had all the colors of the rainbow… for clothes. And maybe even more! When the light reflexes, the colors can mix into a new one.
Along with all the items milliners make, people would ask milliners to remake their old clothes into new ones. Milliners would usually employed people called mantua makers, who could make dresses or gowns for women. Sometimes you could get lots of money being a milliner. A dresses fabric contributed 80 to 90 percent of the price of the dress. Milliners were the only ones who could sell fabric so they made lots of money from the tailors and mantua makers. Sometimes you could get lots of money being a milliner. Milliners dress nicely, when we went to the milliner and tailor shops, the milliner was wearing a very fancy dress, and very old fashioned accessories. The milliner there worked with the tailor. If you are wondering what the HARDEST part of being a milliner is, the milliner that we talked to said, “You have good days and bad ones” . I think she meant some days you have lots of business and lots to do and other days you do not have very much business. She could of also mean that on busier days you get less things done than on less busier days.
Milliners most likely worked hard! It was a really hard life back then! Again, milliners were awesome, cool, great, and literally brilliant!
The milliner was very important in the 1700’s because they were responsible for making the children’s clothing: shirts, shifts, aprons, kerchiefs, and caps. They also made cloaks, hoods, hats, muffs, ruffles, undergarments, shirts, stockings, and trim for gowns. The milliner sold clothes to the fancy men and women. They sold clothes to the poor, and farmers. They also sold lots of gifts and babies clothes. The normal things they sold were buttons, fabric, and lace trim. They sewed lots of things to keep and sell like cloaks, mantles, hats, hoods, caps, gloves, petticoats, riding customs, and dresses that were the latest fashion.
Thimbles were really important because the milliner would push a needle through through the layers of fabric and this is to make clothes. The thimbles were made in the 16-17th centuries. The milliner also used shears for dressmaking. Pins and needles were used for sewing the pieces of fabric together. In the 17th century, pins were made of brass and they have improved over the years.
Some things the milliner sold were similar to the things we buy today like soap, shoes, jewelry, and hats. The other things they usually had in there shop were brocades, combs for hanging onto your hair for attention, hoops, and muffs. Most of the things that were listed at the top were for attracting sailors. Some things they sold could be for fashion like dyed ostrich, feathers, ribbons, and other pretty things. Sometimes on occasions they stitched homemade lady's gowns that follow the style of clothes they stitched overseas. The milliner did not like to wast fabric so they would take the old clothes and make them into new clothes, like recycling. All of the silk, wool, linen, and cotton was also for sale at the milliner’s shop. All of this cloth was shipped over from England.
The girls at ages 11-18 had learned to have responsibility and jobs like cutting, fitting, sewing, ironing, mending, and how to do laundry as an apprentice. They also taught the young girls how to read, write, and do math.
In the 18th century it was getting harder and harder to get the fabric they needed to make the cloths; the materials they needed were harder to get because the prices kept going up.
For a lady to put on her clothes, there were a lot of steps. First they started with the leather shoes that had straps over their instep. Then if you were younger you would have your parents help you put on the next part which were the stays. They were made of heavy linen with boning and they were laced up on the back. They helped you have a great shape but they were dangerous if not used correctly. Next she tied a pocket around her waist. The bag had an opening so she can put something like her handkerchief or a small toy inside. Then she put on the hoops and tied it to the back. They were made out of linen and they had ovas made out of wood or they could use rush instead of wood. There was a hole inside it so they would reach the pocket. Next was the petticoat; it was like a skirt and there was a slide so she could still reach her pocket. Next she put on her silk gown and it had beautiful ruffles and sleeves at the front. Her front was open so you could still see the petticoat. Next she pinned a stomacher to the front of the gown; it covered up her stays. She then put on an apron. It was just for decoration and it also had a ruffle. Next were the mitts that covered her hands. Finally, she tied a white linen cap over her hair, and ready for the day.
I really enjoyed studying the milliner and had such a great experience.
Thimbles were really important because the milliner would push a needle through through the layers of fabric and this is to make clothes. The thimbles were made in the 16-17th centuries. The milliner also used shears for dressmaking. Pins and needles were used for sewing the pieces of fabric together. In the 17th century, pins were made of brass and they have improved over the years.
Some things the milliner sold were similar to the things we buy today like soap, shoes, jewelry, and hats. The other things they usually had in there shop were brocades, combs for hanging onto your hair for attention, hoops, and muffs. Most of the things that were listed at the top were for attracting sailors. Some things they sold could be for fashion like dyed ostrich, feathers, ribbons, and other pretty things. Sometimes on occasions they stitched homemade lady's gowns that follow the style of clothes they stitched overseas. The milliner did not like to wast fabric so they would take the old clothes and make them into new clothes, like recycling. All of the silk, wool, linen, and cotton was also for sale at the milliner’s shop. All of this cloth was shipped over from England.
The girls at ages 11-18 had learned to have responsibility and jobs like cutting, fitting, sewing, ironing, mending, and how to do laundry as an apprentice. They also taught the young girls how to read, write, and do math.
In the 18th century it was getting harder and harder to get the fabric they needed to make the cloths; the materials they needed were harder to get because the prices kept going up.
For a lady to put on her clothes, there were a lot of steps. First they started with the leather shoes that had straps over their instep. Then if you were younger you would have your parents help you put on the next part which were the stays. They were made of heavy linen with boning and they were laced up on the back. They helped you have a great shape but they were dangerous if not used correctly. Next she tied a pocket around her waist. The bag had an opening so she can put something like her handkerchief or a small toy inside. Then she put on the hoops and tied it to the back. They were made out of linen and they had ovas made out of wood or they could use rush instead of wood. There was a hole inside it so they would reach the pocket. Next was the petticoat; it was like a skirt and there was a slide so she could still reach her pocket. Next she put on her silk gown and it had beautiful ruffles and sleeves at the front. Her front was open so you could still see the petticoat. Next she pinned a stomacher to the front of the gown; it covered up her stays. She then put on an apron. It was just for decoration and it also had a ruffle. Next were the mitts that covered her hands. Finally, she tied a white linen cap over her hair, and ready for the day.
I really enjoyed studying the milliner and had such a great experience.