Feathers, Frills and Fancy Goods

The British millinery trade from the 17th to the 19th centuries
An examination of the millinery trade from c.1600-1900, tracing its development from a trade devoted to selling small needlework articles, ribbons and trimmings to one chiefly concerned with making and selling hats and bonnets.

Tracing its development from a trade devoted to selling small needlework articles, ribbons and trimmings to one chiefly concerned with making and selling hats and bonnets, Feathers, Frills and Fancy Goods is an examination of the millinery trade from the early 17th century to the Victorian period.

The term ‘milliner’ derives from milan-er – seller of goods from Milan. Milliners sold ‘small wares’ – pins, needles, thread, tapes, ribbons, laces, soft leathers for belts and purses, gloves, hosiery and other decorative items which often, but not invariably, included caps and hats. Feathers, Frills and Fancy Goods traces the history of the millinery trade from the late 16th century, when most milliners were men, to the 19th century, when an increasing number of women had moved into the industry, and the term ‘milliner’ began to take on its contemporary meaning of ‘hat maker/seller’.

Drawing on a wealth of unpublished and primary sources, and illustrated with over 65 images, Feathers, Frills and Fancy Goods traces the evolution of this complex and under-researched trade and grants new insights into working class life in 18th- and 19th-century Britain.

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