Wedding hat North East from Margaret Woodliff Wright, the Northumberland Milliner. Fedora, boater, coolie, fascinator, halo, headband, panama, trilby, turban, vintage beret, not forgetting the millinery styles made famous by fashion icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Christian Dior, and Coco Chanel – these all conjure up hats that we are familiar with, making such styles timeless classics. Depending on their shape, colour, texture, and trim, most of these classic millinery styles can be transformed into a hat or headpiece suitable for almost any family occasion such as a christening, bar mitzvah, funeral, cocktail or garden party, wedding or even an investiture showpiece.

Before making a definite choice of outfit, check if there is a dress code for the event you are attending. For instance, if you are lucky enough to be receiving an award at Buckingham Place, commentators report that HM The Queen prefers small slightly understated headpieces. You can find timeless classics suitable for all family and special occasions, including classic summer and winter millinery pieces such as picture hats, vintage berets and fur felt fedoras many with beautiful feather handmade trims, available from the Ready to Wear Online Store Once you’ve checked out the Ready to Wear styles on my website, if you would like to commission a couture piece for your special event please just get in touch. You will find more details about how to commissioning your own couture hat or headpiece, in the How it Works section below and to arrange a date for a consultation just complete the “Book a Consultation” form.

Each couture commission is hand-made in my studio, shapes are hand-blocked, with the trimmings and flowers expertly made, and shaped by hand. The commission starts with an initial in-person visit to my studio in NE67 or NE1 – for pieces with universal head fittings this could also take place by Zoom – to look through and try on my samples. Firstly, together we select the shape itself, then the design, styling and fabric choices follow – these may include parisisial straw, luxury felt, fine silks, lace, flowers, feathers, veiling and beading. It’s very helpful to bring a sample of your fabric with you to the appointment, many bring the dress itself, though I appreciate that this is not always possible! The first consultation will last about 1-1.5hrs, and throughout the commission making process I will stay in touch by email or FaceTime to update you on progress. Once the shape has been made there will be a further consultation, which can be by Zoom, to confirm the choice of trims and finishes. At the final appointment, we will have a grand trying-on session and I will explain to you how to adjust your headpiece. Your headpiece design will take four to six weeks to create, and start from £300 (halo bands from £250) there are more details here. Please get in touch for more details and to make an appointment complete the consultation form below.