by Wendy Mansfield
In July Oggie Weldon gave us a a talk and demonstration of “Couture Millinery”. Oggie was originally a private secretary but when her boss sadly died she took up hat making as a hobby. She did several courses and then began making hats for family and friends before eventually turning her hobby into a business. After a brief history of hat making explaining how the word “millinery” comes from Milan where hats were first made due to the soil being perfect for growing the straw hats were originally made from, Oggie went on to explain that this was the reason hat making moved to Luton as again conditions were perfect. As we all know the Luton football team are called “the Hatters” to this day! Oggie had brought a selection of “blocks” on which hats are formed, saying they are very expensive to buy and made from an African soft wood so that pins can be pushed in easily. The basic fabric is “sinamay” which is a byproduct of the banana plant. Several layers are pinned to the block to form the crown of the hat which then has to be steamed. Various other fabrics can be used such as sisal, buckram for stiffening and petersham for holding the hat band in place. Felt caps are also used and can be cut and shaped as required.
In 1784 the government of Pitt the Younger put a tax on hats and so “fascinators” came into being. Feathers were used heavily as decoration and in 1889 “the Plumage League” was established to stop the milliners from stealing bird feathers. This organisation in known today as the RSPB. Oggie made reference to several famous hat makers such as David Shilling, Phillip Treacy and Isabella Blow. Oggie herself makes hats for all sorts of occasions, from weddings to garden parties and race meetings, not just in this country but for the Melbourne Cup, Dubai Cup and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Oggie had brought a selection of her creations and members needed little encouragement to try them on!
