What does millinery mean?
Millinery is the business of making and selling hats, particularly women’s hats, and it can also mean hats or decorative headwear collectively. The word has a traditional, somewhat old-fashioned quality, often evoking finely crafted or fashionable hats rather than ordinary everyday headgear. It appears in expressions such as “millinery shop” and “millinery department,” and is also common in descriptions of historical clothing collections and displays. Although the word is still used in retail and heritage contexts, most speakers would use “hatmaking” or simply “hats” in less formal conversation. Its name comes through French milliner, ultimately referring to the style of hats associated with Milan, where hatmaking had a notable early history.
nounThe business or trade of making and selling hats, especially women’s hats. It can also refer collectively to hats and other articles of women’s clothing or decoration, especially decorative headwear.
- The business or trade of making and selling hats, especially women’s hats.
- A collection of hats or decorative headwear.
"The shop specialized in elegant millinery for formal occasions."
"The museum displays an impressive collection of Victorian millinery."
"She opened a small millinery business in the old town."
The plural is uncommon; use it mainly when referring to separate businesses, collections, or types of millinery.
"The exhibition featured several distinctive millineries from the early twentieth century."
Millinery takes its name from Milan, the Italian city once famous for producing fashionable hats.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does millinery come from?
The word comes through French milliner, originally a name for a maker or seller of Milanese hats. Its ultimate association is with Milan in Italy, which became known for hatmaking. English borrowed the term in the sixteenth century, initially in reference to makers and sellers of hats, and later developed the collective sense for the trade and for hats collectively.
Related word forms
How millinery is actually used
The term is somewhat old-fashioned in contemporary English and often suggests finely made or fashionable women’s hats. In modern usage, it is more common in retail, historical, and descriptive contexts than in everyday speech.
Easily confused with millinery
A milliner is a person who makes or sells hats, while millinery is the trade or the collection of hats itself.