Hat Hire Portlaoise is a small business based in Portlaoise, Ireland. Milliner Pamela Curtain has a large selection of hats, fascinators, bags and umbrellas for sale or hire. Pieces can be especially made by Pamela to make that special day even more special. Fascinators she has designed have been winners in Kilbeggen & Dublin with media attention on Xpose and Sunday Independent.

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The Fashionistas keeping an eye on what's "in" on the catwalks could not help observe a trend to colour blocking. Checkered designs are embraced by top fashion designers for Spring 2013. This has been the inspiration for Sinead Madden of Ireland for a collection at a recent showing. Congratulations to Sinead who visited Australia's Gold Coast in January and wowed the judges at a Magic Millions event to take home a prize for her Headwear…

Monika Neuhauser from New Zealand started her Millinery career out of necessity, when she could not purchase a suitable hat for a race day in 2006. Her love of fashion & craft have found a perfect marriage in Millinery. This photo features her Fashion on the Field win for the recent Prix de Fashion competition. Monika is also adding to her skills here through lessons on HatAcademy. Whether…

After completing this lesson you will rethink the bow and add your own creative ideas to a classic trim style. Give a basic bow a twist or double knot it for trim variety. Create sinamay bows or soft organza and lace bows. Add a buzz to your trim by adding a bow with any of the 10 bows in this lesson.

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This derby or wedding hat has it all - curves, movement, great lines. Hand blocked on a vintage hat block. Delicate lace trim is hand stitched to netting forming the almost invisible 8" brim.
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London based YashkaThor are devoted to creating radical luxury with architectural styling. Yashka & Thor studied Philosophy at University then decided they would make hats that enrich the daily lives of their wearers. YashkaThor believe hats have transformative powers that affect the wearer’s mood, appearance and experiences. YashkaThor’s hats have been worn by beautiful people including Rebecca Hall and Leonard Cohen.…

Learn how to create and trim striking Cocktail Hats to turn heads at the races plus add a popular style technique to your millinery know-how.



Cocktail hats became popular in 30s & 40s when times were difficult but have had a recent vintage revival. Once you have made basic shape you learn how to block & cover with silk and other fabrics. Sinamay cocktails are…

Hats are fun, functional, protective and stylish. No matter what you are wearing, it's the hat that get's noticed! Kathleen Gaffey has such fun creating her hats. This felt hat is one style reflecting the 40's era. No matter which way it sits it is perfectly perched. Her hand molding & folding of her felt hats makes each pace so special.

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Lets be daring and cut into the brim shape to enable us to reshape by twisting & twirling. This lesson will give you a great opportunity to make it an individual design. With the changes you are given tips for wiring & binding. Dare to reinvent a boring brim!
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This is the sort of hat worn for golf in the 1920s or 30s, when women played in a long skirt and wore shiny brown loafers! Made completely by hand, in the old fashioned way, from all new materials.
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Milliner Cynthia Jones-Bryson has a reputation for creating headwear with a unique brand of sophistication, style and elegance. Combining traditional millinery techniques with her innovative styling and insistence on top quality the finished products speak for themselves. As such, her creations can be left on display long after the event is over.

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Loops & twirls add movement to the trim but they need to be strengthened to retain form All the techniques are included in this lesson as well as how to create straw loops.
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Combining customers fabric with headwear makes a statement - "I have been to a Milliner for this Hat." As a Milliner set some boundaries - pick up a practical tip here.
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With new exciting classes currently being produced we have revised the cost of lessons and are now priced in three different categories. 

› Lessons that are 10 minutes plus are at $24.95

› Lessons that are 20 minutes plus are at $29.95

› Lessons that are 40 minutes plus are at $39.95

All lessons include…

Lauren from Brightview, Queensland has been dabbling in Millinery for about 20 yrs. She started by learning traditional millinery from her Grandmother who was a Milliner and Seamstress. Inspired by Downton Abbey she recently designed this hat with a modern twist using Sinamay straw.
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Flat feathers need added dimension to give style to trim so lets twist, curl and cut them so they are more than a filler in the trim process.
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Established milliner Elsie Collins stuns us again with a graceful red felt cloche. Firstly you can see her love of anything vintage. Her hand work is faultless. Appreciate the hand made blossoms. The rolled hem surrounding the brim gives a smooth finish. Learn how to hem felt in lesson 19. Bands are often just seen as functional to hide the join position for the…

Amanda Joyner from Indiana has such a love for life her mini hats will make you smile. She has adorned heads at the Grammys where fashion always has a few surprises. One of the basic success tricks for any milliner is "Sketch before you Create". This is an example of Amandas quick sketches. It gives the creative mind direction to start. Check out the…

While training in millinery at the London College of Fashion, Beth Paton just simply fell in love with the hat-making process. Her experience as an illustrator has stood her in good stead in this field of fashion as hats are also a fun way to express her creativity. Beth's classic Bridal headpiece displays simplicity in styling as the golden rule for bridal headwear is " less is often more."

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