The raw materials used for most hats look a little like a bell and are floppy.
They come in two basic shapes called 'hoods' or 'bodies'. Hoods are used for cloches and cocktail hats,. And bodies are used for broad brimmed hats. In their raw form they are not wearable as a serious hat. Only the milliners skill makes them into fashion statements.
For our fall/winter line we use fur velour. It is softer and more plush than fur felt or wool felt. Colors look more vibrant on velour. And, it is available in the season's popular colors. A long nap velour called "beaver" is also available. It is not named for the animal, it just has a furry feel. In addition to popular colors beaver is available in some animal prints.
In spring/summer we use hand woven straws from Central America, and Asia. It can take longer than 6 months for someone to hand weave a very high quality straw body. There are no straw-weaving machines, it must be done by hand. Many of the people who do it are quite old. There are no replacement workers because the young people, in these countries, want other, better paying
jobs. Someday a hand woven had will be a prized rarity.
The names of some of the straws that we use are: balibuntal, paribuntal, bakou, panama, parisisol, sinamay, jinsin and visca. Since many of these words are Asian in origin you may find them spelled differently in other texts. As with velour, straws are available in popular colors. And since we are artists, we free our imagination and experiment with decorative fabrics. In which case the under-structure is buckram.
