Top hats for special occasions 

June brings us Royal Ascot & other glamorous occasions. We chat to local millinery stars about hats & headwear to fascinate you!

Summer is unfurling, and Mother Nature treats us to a joyful display of colour. Weddings, race days and other special occasions invite women to dress up, embracing fashion in full bloom, head to toe.  

Ellie Vandenbrekel

“People want hats for all sorts of reasons and it’s a privilege to be part of someone’s exciting and special occasion”. Says milliner Ellie Vandenbrekel who is opening her Chesham studio to visitors for Bucks Art Weeks in June. 

“I ‘fell’ into millinery by accident. In 2005, I made my own bridal headpiece, then one for a friend and then some fascinators for friends’ weddings. I opened my studio in 2016. Mainly I make to order but I have some ready-to-wear pieces. As well as this, I also love reinventing existing pieces.  

“I love my job! I love fashion, shape and colour and how tactile my job is, all the little details involved in the process. Sometimes I’ll see something in nature or architecture and think how great it would be represented in hat form.” 

Ellie is a mum of two boys who also carries out dress alterations. She’s an alumna of Dr Challoner’s which she didn’t hugely enjoy (“except for the friends and art department!”) She credits her parents for her creativity and passion. “My mum is a couture dressmaker. She used to work as a conservator at the V&A and has always been a talented artist,” she says. “My dad is musical, linguistic and extremely practical: everything from carpentry, including making his own guitars, to blacksmithing. I grew up believing anything could be fixed, made or changed!” 

For bespoke pieces, the milliner’s process begins with a client consultation. Involving looking at the outfit and accessories and discussing the event. “If it’s Ascot there are rules in place for certain enclosures and we’ll talk about the appropriate fabric for the season,” adds Ellie. “For example felts and leathers are better suited to winter while straw is good for summer. The customer might come with a very formed idea of what they’d like. They might first try on different hat styles and shapes to get an idea of what suits them and I’ll guide them. Then it’s down to trims – feathers, flowers (or indeed feather flowers!), bows; soft or structural; simple or flamboyant. I do a lot of my own dyeing so elements of the hat are made to match outfit colours. When I can work alongside dressmakers, it’s always brilliant to have an off-cut for colour matching.”  

Find out more

Read more about Bucks Art Weeks (visit bucksart weeks.org.uk). Ellie is also looking forward to Hats Off festival in Chesham on 12th July. Find out more about Ellie’s work at ellievmillinery.com or follow @ellievmillinery.

Jayne Elizabeth Rossiter-Gill

Award-winning designer, milliner and stylist Jayne Elizabeth Rossiter-Gill understands the power of a statement headpiece to turn heads. Her creations, crafted in her Oxfordshire studio, have more than a dash of old-school glamour. Getting camera bulbs flashing at red carpet events, catwalk shows and photo shoots. As well as at Ascot, the Kentucky Derby and Melbourne Cup.

As a hat virgin (I’m a tall woman) tentatively hoping to attend Royal Ascot with the glam girls this month. I ask her… can anyone wear a hat?! “Yes!” insists Jayne. “My advice for anyone who isn’t used to wearing hats would be to try them. It’s often about the fit and angle of the hat, and having the confidence to wear it correctly. It’s fabulous to give clients that ‘boost’ and see the photographs of them looking fabulous in their hat!  

“I’ve always had a passion for the creative arts, especially fashion, photography and hat making. As a child I recreated hats I’d seen on TV. I made outfits for my pet cat and up-cycling clothes to give them a unique feel. 

“Millinery is the perfect fusion of so many creative techniques, and I love the variety of projects I work on. A lot of the work I do is for special occasions and prestigious events. I offer a bespoke service to clients. I’ll design a unique hat or headpiece which compliments their individual style and outfit. I also offer remodelling services for existing hats. This proves a great way to customise a piece without the cost of buying a totally handmade hat. I can also clean and upgrade hats.” For more info about Jayne’s work, or to get in touch, please visit jemillinery.com & follow @jayne.elizabeth.millinery.

Immy Howard

Next is a theatrical hat-maker for theatre and film. Immy Howard graduated in 2017 from Arts University Bournemouth with a first-class degree in Costume Design. “Individuality is something I regard highly in my work, and each piece is lovingly handmade in house,” she says. “I believe a hat should be a treasured possession, not to mention a showstopper!”. For more info visit immyhowardmillinery.com & follow @immyhmillinery.

Adrienne Henry

You’ll find Adrienne Henry in Harris Arcade in Reading. She designs and makes bespoke hats for every occasion. Stocking a wide range of men’s/unisex hats in a variety of colours, sizes and styles. Adrienne says: “I opened the business in 2010, after a trip to Australia and a chance encounter with a shop owner in the Harris Arcade. I’d been a teacher for years but always love a new challenge. In Australia I’d fallen in love with vintage hats and started collecting them and learning about traditional millinery. My style is vintage inspired; however, we’re always looking at new trends.  

“Confidence in what you’re wearing can make an outfit stand out. Sometimes you just need to put your head back, stand up straight and smile. You’d be amazed at how many styles of hats will suit you. And, if you’re inspired to make our own hat we offer workshops and courses, plus vouchers which make great gifts.”  
Visit adriennehenrymillinery.co.uk.

Emma Moscow

Based in Boxford near Newbury, Emma Moscow studied fashion at Berkshire College of Art and Design. She went on to study with Rose Cory MBE, milliner to the late Queen Mother. “There are no hard and fast rules and choosing a hat,” she says. “So I ask clients to try and keep an open mind, come to my studio and try on lots of styles. It’s common for people to push their hats too far back. Generally they look better tilted forward. If it’s a style which sits more to one side, skimming the eyebrow looks flattering on most people”. Visit emmamoscowmillinery.co.uk.

Hats for Her

Andrew West at Hats for Her in Crowthorne found a novel way to get around the “I don’t do hats” issue when he married wife Angela. He asked every woman guest to wear a hat and he says, with a little persuasion, they all did. “It was fabulous”. “We had a best hat competition. Everybody looked and said that they felt truly special and it inspired me to launch Hats for Her.” Summing it up as “the experience and the inexperience”, Andrew acknowledges that the process of buying a hat can be quite stressful. Adding: “It’s an unusual item to buy, hence ladies are inexperienced at doing it. Invariably it’s for an important occasion and not something to get wrong. 

“Our approach at Hats for Her – please excuse the pun – is to turn that whole experience on its head and into something truly enjoyable.” Hats for Her has provided headwear for ladies attending countless weddings, royal garden parties, investitures and race meetings. See their varied collection (each has a name) at hatsforher.co.uk. Check out Facebook with their weekday posts of the chosen Hat of the Day. 

“Hats are transformational, hats have the power to turn a simple outfit into something memorable. When someone finds ‘the one’, they instantly stand taller, walk with more presence and truly come to life.” 

Beverley Edmondson Millinery

So says Beverley Edmondson who has been running Beverley Edmondson Millinery, in The Oast House, Mead Lane, Farnham for 17 years. Step into her showroom and discover the workshop where everything is made and the dye room awash with colours. You’ll also find more than 500 handmade pieces to suit all face shapes, styles, outfits and occasions. Crafted on site, these are available to buy ‘off the shelf’, while bespoke made-to-order hats will ensure you have one that will truly make you stand out.  

“We always say: if you feel great in a hat, you will look great in it,” says Beverley who as well as being featured in the Royal Ascot Style Guide, has won national awards and also makes hats for film and TV. “Absolutely anyone can wear a hat. The idea that hats don’t suit certain people is one of the biggest myths we hear, it’s about confidence. Visit beverleyedmondson.co.uk 

Rae Oakley Hats

At Rae Oakley Hats in Chiddingfold, it’s all about enjoying what you’re wearing whether it’s simple or more flamboyant. “Sometimes clients come to me and they’re nervous, so it’s important I put them at ease,” Rae explains. “I want to not only build their confidence, but also make them realise that wearing a hat should be an enjoyable experience. If they leave with a smile on their face, I know I’ve done my job properly.” 

Rae has been making hats for more than 30 years and after running a shop in Kingston, moved to Chiddingfold and now works from home where she admits “a large part of our house is full of hats, both finished and in progress”. 

“Like good tailoring or a lovely pair of shoes, wearing a hat shows that you have made an effort with your appearance. It finishes off an outfit.” 

So can it finish off an outfit even for the most wary hat wearer? Rae gives this a firm nod of approval: “Each one I create is made to order, so I take into account not only the client’s outfit, but also elements like her body type and proportions, as well as her character.  

“A hat is ultimately a joint effort between myself and the client, and should be a reflection of their personality.” Visit raeoakleyhats.co.uk

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