We proudly make each and every one of our hats by hand in the USA.

Our Business

Because our business is a continuation of a business that began in 1929, we have over 400 hat blocks on which to work our magic.  We also have large amounts of supplies that are currently unavailabe to new milliners.  Many of our fabrics, hat bodies, trims, flowers, feathers, and other supplies had been imported from Europe when hat making was at its peak. These supplies are of the highest quality and have a richness to them that cannot be found in many products available today.  Although these supplies could be considered vintage, they are sturdy and as bright as the day they were made.

Who We Are

We, my husband and I, are educators, lecturers, authors, and prize-winning dress, costume, and hat makers.  We have always worked collaboratively.  We started making hats about 30 years ago for prominent doll and teddy bear artists from all over the world.  We have designed and made prototype hats for a major doll manufacturer.

We started making full size hats when we introduced the "Teddy and Me" line; two identical looking hats, the small for teddy and the large for teddy's human.  They were wildly popular.

But it wasn't until we discovered  "Paris Fashions", the oldest operating (75 years) millinery shop in Chicago, that we entered the world of couture and bespoke millinery.  We apprenticed for 6 years and eventually took over the business when the original owners retired.

We have most recently published our book "Creating with Crin", a one-of-a-kind craft book available here and on our ETSY site, showing how the milliner's staple of crin (called horsehair in the USA) can be used to enhance all kinds of craft projects.  www.etsy.com/shop/NouveauHatsbySharon

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