Some common questions about millinery & milliners answered

Over the past 12-18 months & historically, there has been quite a lot of discussion amongst members around the topic of millinery, milliners & the differences between ‘qualified’ & ‘hobby’ milliners. I have also received both questions from members & poll topics around all sorts of issues around these topics. 

As I’m not a milliner myself & am simply a devotee of quality millinery, I always believe it best to approach the experts when looking for qualified responses to questions. I have therefore approached the Millinery Association of Australia (MAA) for responses to some of most commonly asked questions asked both publicly & privately within ‘It’s All About The Sash’ (IAATS), as many qualified milliners are members of this widely recognized association. Please find the responses & a little background into the MAA as follows:

“As you will note from our website The Millinery Association of Australia is a not for profit organisation encompassing a diverse range of millinery, from traditional hats to costume. We provide members with opportunities for friendship, collaboration, networking, and education. We host events that showcase quality millinery and our professional and enthusiastic members unite to raise the profile of millinery in Australia.

We can only provide general comments to our membership and as you stated the requirement of a fellow member application is Cert IV or equivalent as assessed by the committee at the time.  We encourage any hat purchaser to address any concern they might have for a piece directly with the milliner or outlet they made the purchase from. 

In response to your questions:

Q - What sort of knowledge/training is required of a milliner in order to meet the standards of being deemed a ‘qualified’ milliner? 

A - The Association is a membership based organisation and is not a regulatory body for the use of the term milliner nor qualified milliner.  There are many ways that a milliner can gain their skill and the wearer should as with any purchase research the brand they are purchasing from to see if the quality meets the standard they expect.   

Q - What questions should a person ask of a milliner in determining their experience?

A - The Millinery Association Members listing outlines the fellow members.  The attributes a person might be looking for as to what is the important aspect of a piece can vary, it is best to look at the milliners website to view their brands history and review the images of their products through all of their platforms.  

Q - What features of a milliners work should a person looking at a piece of millinery look for when determining if a piece of millinery is a quality piece? 

A - There are many different techniques that can be executed in different ways if the person has a specific understanding of a technique they could consult a milliner directly and seek to purchase from the milliner who was best known for this technique originally.  

Q - How does a person know if the price they are paying for a piece of millinery is ‘worth’ what the seller is charging? 

A - If the person has a concern they have not received their worth for a piece they should contact the milliner directly. 

We look forward to continuing to see the wonderful outfits and style from the It's All About The Sash Community.”

I hope these responses give you all some clarity around these commonly discussed topics and may answer some questions that are most frequently asked. I would like to thank Lauren, President of the MAA & committee for the time & effort put into compiling this response for the benefit of the members of IAATS. If you would like more information about the MAA or are looking for a milliner who is a member of the MAA, please visit their website https://millineryaustralia.org

Please note - these questions & responses are just a guide based on members commonly asked questions. We recommend that members do their own research into potential millinery/milliners themselves if they have any questions before committing to purchase or commissioning a piece of millinery. Also clarifying that qualified milliners are not obliged to be members of the MAA (though many are) & many people who describe themselves as ‘milliners’ (ie ‘hobby’ milliners) may not have the qualifications outlined above. Asking questions, looking at websites & reading reviews cost nothing and may be very useful in helping you to make a decision.

Emma Scodellaro & the Millinery Association of Australia April 2021