Through my unplanned career journey as a professional women’s eveningwear designer, patterner, and seamstress, I spent years creating beautiful attire using fabrics and textures. Even as a child, I was drawn to sewing, spending hours designing clothing for my pet turtles.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in fashion/textile design, and winning awards for dress design, I took a class to learn the nanotechnique of incorporating wool into silk to create a new fabric. The class assignment was to mold the fabric over a wooden hat block and create a hat. This was my first introduction to millinery, and I quickly became addicted to learning old-world techniques and the art of hat making.
Despite the lack of online resources at the time, a few teachers across the country were gracious enough to share their knowledge. It was challenging to find information, but with an abundance of milliners sharing their skills, there is a whole new generation of hatmakers.
I enjoy doing in-person trunk shows, especially when seeing someone who has never worn a hat find the perfect one — and a new hat lover walks away with a smile. While many of my hats are chic and sophisticated, I also take pleasure in creating Western-style hats, being a cowgirl at heart. I believe that wearing a hat elevates one’s everyday look.
My extensive knowledge and experience in hat making has led me to share my passion and expertise with others. I’ve connected with hatmakers across the country and together we share secrets of sourcing and old-world techniques. I enjoy teaching others millinery and hat-making skills.
By definition, a “hatter” typically creates men’s hats, and a “milliner” creates women’s hats — both using different techniques and materials, many times overlapping. A haberdasher is a trade that outfits the man, head to toe, although over the years it has taken on many similar definitions.
In addition to my love for making and selling hats, I’m determined to help others. I created the Emmy Gaffey Foundation to donate a percentage of my sales to support the Glenbard Parent Series, a program that helps young adults navigate this crazy world. Every dollar helps, and it goes directly to the speakers. This foundation honors my daughter, who passed away in 2013. This program is unique and helps so many young adults. I feel my daughter Emmy is an angel in heaven while helping young adults on earth.
From an accidental introduction to hat making to running a successful business and supporting a cause I believe in, it’s been a gratifying journey. I know the passion for what I do will live as long as I do. I feel it’s something in my blood, which I can never give up, and provides me so much fulfillment and happiness.
My studio is my happy place. I often refer to it as a larger version of a box of 64 crayons. I have every color, texture and trim to create anything I dream of. My assistant is a 12-pound black fluff ball named George — although he’s pretty convinced the studio should close around his dinner time at 5 p.m.
I’m constantly learning and evolving into the best hatmaker I can be. I have gone to weeklong hat workshops to learn new techniques. In between meeting new people, new sources and new techniques, I’m figuring out this social media thing.
My design process usually starts with the color of the felt and the feel of the felt and trim. From there I design and create the best hat that complements the materials used. I rarely sketch a hat, and I usually don’t know what the hat will look like until it is finished.
I love using natural fibers — felts from sustainable sources — and silks to create a gorgeous hat that my client will love forever.
I take pride in my vast collection of antique and new hat blocks that allow me to craft any hat design that I can imagine. Each hat is labor intensive and requires intricate hand-sewing to complete. As I continue to grow and evolve in this craft, I am always looking for new tools to collect and more efficient ways to construct hats. Felt is my preferred material, as I love the soft, steamed texture it provides.
One of my most popular summer designs is a raffia golf hat that I created many years ago when I couldn’t find the perfect hat. Teaching this design has been a fun and rewarding experience over the years.
My experience at a hat-making workshop in Pennsylvania recently, during a weeklong apprenticeship, was eye-opening. I learned how to make hats using traditional, hand-sewn techniques. Despite my existing millinery skills, there was still so much to learn about the craft. Working with beaver felt requires immense strength and patience, as it takes much more time to get the felt to cooperate. Hand-sewing a beaver felt hat is a true labor of love, stitch by stitch.
“The personality of the wearer and the hat makes the hat.” – Philip Treacy
I have a few tips for aspiring milliners: Stay focused and true to yourself. Starting out as a milliner can be challenging, and it’s common to experience disappointment in the early stages. Many of us work from home studios and begin by selling our creations at local shows under a tent. Sometimes the only validity we receive for all the hard work is a sale. Some shows yield no sales, while others can be quite successful.
It’s important not to take slow days personally and avoid lowering prices in response. Instead, my advice is to stay true to your art and maintain your passion. With a little creativity, an older felt can be transformed into a brand-new style using a little steam and a different hat block, so don’t end up selling it off for peanuts.
I’m often asked why I don’t copy my best-selling hats. As an artist, I believe that replicating a design diminishes the depths of our creativity, given the countless ideas we have to offer. Women frequently tell me that they lack the confidence to wear hats. I firmly believe that donning a hat can give you that extra self-assurance.
Not only that, a hat can elicit a smile from everyone who lays eyes on you. When I see someone who has taken the time and effort to look good, I believe it is a gift to everyone who sees her/him. A gift to others, not just ourselves. A hat always elicits happiness, wherever you go. Hats are pure fun and it will show in your smile, which will be contagious!
As a bit of a history buff, I appreciate the role that hats have played in society since ancient times. From fashion to protection to social status, hats have served a variety of purposes and have been worn by people from all walks of life.
With my passion for felt and history, I make sure that my materials come from the best felt makers in the world, and my studio is brimming with colorful felt sample boards, feathers, ribbons and sequins. Working with these materials is truly a joy. To me, everyone looks better in a hat — but the right hat is essential.
Each hat can possess a unique tale. Some hats are passed down from long ago, such as those of a father or uncle. A well-made hat will pass the test of time through the generations.
I’ve been fortunate enough to hear many fascinating stories from people about their hats. The most recent anecdote was from someone who made friends with a Western movie star, only to receive his autographed hat in the mail weeks later, which was the topic of many conversations while they were together. Stories and events were documented inside this hat reflecting parts of their lives.
This got me thinking that every hat should have a story, and perhaps it should be documented inside the hat. Special hats become part of your persona and reflect your personality to others. It’s fun to imagine wearing a storybook on your head.
Through my unplanned career journey as a professional women’s eveningwear designer, patterner, and seamstress, I spent years creating beautiful attire using fabrics and textures. Even as a child, I was drawn to sewing, spending hours designing clothing for my pet turtles.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in fashion/textile design, and winning awards for dress design, I took a class to learn the nanotechnique of incorporating wool into silk to create a new fabric. The class assignment was to mold the fabric over a wooden hat block and create a hat. This was my first introduction to millinery, and I quickly became addicted to learning old-world techniques and the art of hat making.
Despite the lack of online resources at the time, a few teachers across the country were gracious enough to share their knowledge. It was challenging to find information, but with an abundance of milliners sharing their skills, there is a whole new generation of hatmakers.
I enjoy doing in-person trunk shows, especially when seeing someone who has never worn a hat find the perfect one — and a new hat lover walks away with a smile. While many of my hats are chic and sophisticated, I also take pleasure in creating Western-style hats, being a cowgirl at heart. I believe that wearing a hat elevates one’s everyday look.
My extensive knowledge and experience in hat making has led me to share my passion and expertise with others. I’ve connected with hatmakers across the country and together we share secrets of sourcing and old-world techniques. I enjoy teaching others millinery and hat-making skills.
By definition, a “hatter” typically creates men’s hats, and a “milliner” creates women’s hats — both using different techniques and materials, many times overlapping. A haberdasher is a trade that outfits the man, head to toe, although over the years it has taken on many similar definitions.
In addition to my love for making and selling hats, I’m determined to help others. I created the Emmy Gaffey Foundation to donate a percentage of my sales to support the Glenbard Parent Series, a program that helps young adults navigate this crazy world. Every dollar helps, and it goes directly to the speakers. This foundation honors my daughter, who passed away in 2013. This program is unique and helps so many young adults. I feel my daughter Emmy is an angel in heaven while helping young adults on earth.
From an accidental introduction to hat making to running a successful business and supporting a cause I believe in, it’s been a gratifying journey. I know the passion for what I do will live as long as I do. I feel it’s something in my blood, which I can never give up, and provides me so much fulfillment and happiness.
My studio is my happy place. I often refer to it as a larger version of a box of 64 crayons. I have every color, texture and trim to create anything I dream of. My assistant is a 12-pound black fluff ball named George — although he’s pretty convinced the studio should close around his dinner time at 5 p.m.
I’m constantly learning and evolving into the best hatmaker I can be. I have gone to weeklong hat workshops to learn new techniques. In between meeting new people, new sources and new techniques, I’m figuring out this social media thing.
My design process usually starts with the color of the felt and the feel of the felt and trim. From there I design and create the best hat that complements the materials used. I rarely sketch a hat, and I usually don’t know what the hat will look like until it is finished.
I love using natural fibers — felts from sustainable sources — and silks to create a gorgeous hat that my client will love forever.
I take pride in my vast collection of antique and new hat blocks that allow me to craft any hat design that I can imagine. Each hat is labor intensive and requires intricate hand-sewing to complete. As I continue to grow and evolve in this craft, I am always looking for new tools to collect and more efficient ways to construct hats. Felt is my preferred material, as I love the soft, steamed texture it provides.
One of my most popular summer designs is a raffia golf hat that I created many years ago when I couldn’t find the perfect hat. Teaching this design has been a fun and rewarding experience over the years.
My experience at a hat-making workshop in Pennsylvania recently, during a weeklong apprenticeship, was eye-opening. I learned how to make hats using traditional, hand-sewn techniques. Despite my existing millinery skills, there was still so much to learn about the craft. Working with beaver felt requires immense strength and patience, as it takes much more time to get the felt to cooperate. Hand-sewing a beaver felt hat is a true labor of love, stitch by stitch.
“The personality of the wearer and the hat makes the hat.” – Philip Treacy
I have a few tips for aspiring milliners: Stay focused and true to yourself. Starting out as a milliner can be challenging, and it’s common to experience disappointment in the early stages. Many of us work from home studios and begin by selling our creations at local shows under a tent. Sometimes the only validity we receive for all the hard work is a sale. Some shows yield no sales, while others can be quite successful.
It’s important not to take slow days personally and avoid lowering prices in response. Instead, my advice is to stay true to your art and maintain your passion. With a little creativity, an older felt can be transformed into a brand-new style using a little steam and a different hat block, so don’t end up selling it off for peanuts.
I’m often asked why I don’t copy my best-selling hats. As an artist, I believe that replicating a design diminishes the depths of our creativity, given the countless ideas we have to offer. Women frequently tell me that they lack the confidence to wear hats. I firmly believe that donning a hat can give you that extra self-assurance.
Not only that, a hat can elicit a smile from everyone who lays eyes on you. When I see someone who has taken the time and effort to look good, I believe it is a gift to everyone who sees her/him. A gift to others, not just ourselves. A hat always elicits happiness, wherever you go. Hats are pure fun and it will show in your smile, which will be contagious!
As a bit of a history buff, I appreciate the role that hats have played in society since ancient times. From fashion to protection to social status, hats have served a variety of purposes and have been worn by people from all walks of life.
With my passion for felt and history, I make sure that my materials come from the best felt makers in the world, and my studio is brimming with colorful felt sample boards, feathers, ribbons and sequins. Working with these materials is truly a joy. To me, everyone looks better in a hat — but the right hat is essential.
Each hat can possess a unique tale. Some hats are passed down from long ago, such as those of a father or uncle. A well-made hat will pass the test of time through the generations.
I’ve been fortunate enough to hear many fascinating stories from people about their hats. The most recent anecdote was from someone who made friends with a Western movie star, only to receive his autographed hat in the mail weeks later, which was the topic of many conversations while they were together. Stories and events were documented inside this hat reflecting parts of their lives.
This got me thinking that every hat should have a story, and perhaps it should be documented inside the hat. Special hats become part of your persona and reflect your personality to others. It’s fun to imagine wearing a storybook on your head.
