Hats are worn for protection from the elements and are a
fashion statement. There are two major sectors when it comes to this venture.
These are the hat making sector and merchandising business.
Selling hats is big business because they are used for
various occasions and seasons. We have sports related hats, fashion,
practical, and high society ones. Others are for religious worship,
funny and elaborate hats.
makers concentrate on the manufacturing process. They design them for all occasions including different kinds
of head-wear.
The job of a Milliner is to design create and manufacture. Millinery apart producing them can open a millinery shop to sell
their finished products.
Top manufacturers focus on exportation business
end of the market. A millinery shop can diversify into other products like
garments, caps, shirts, and cloaks.
The word was a reference to Milliner manufactures that
design, trim and make hats for women and girls. The word milliner evolved from Milan
a high fashion capital of the world.
About
Hats
They are generally worn for protection from the elements
and as a fashion Accessory.
They have become very popular with high society, sports
wear and leisure outfits. Many designers contribute immensely to the fashion
industry with amazing creations.
The milliner uses his creativity and craftsmanship to
design unique head-wear for all occasions. The gap between traditional milliners
and cap makers seem to blur and fade. This is because creative designers do
both traditional and modern hat and cap making.
A milliner can design to a specific need or mass produce
a design. While cap makers are mostly into special branding and mass production
of caps.
Hat designers work
on commissions while cap makers produce in mass based on contracts. The demand
and supply chain dictates the production level of cap makers.
Some top cap companies rely on outsourcing their cap manufacturing process to foreign companies.
This provides a great opportunity for domestic cap makers to earn foreign
exchange.
Top
Hat Makers
Innovation
There are many innovative hat-makers making millions of
dollars with their amazing designs and craftsmanship. Some focus on
manufacturing wide-oval fitted hats that are ready to wear.
There is also the bowler hat created by James Lock Co and
the famous Borsalino-fedora hat. Other notable designs are the cowboy and the
Felt.
A
list of notable milliners
John Boyd a London milliner
Stephen Jones an American
Rose Bertin known to work with celebrated fashion designers
Simone Jones another Londoner
David Shillings
Mr. John and Lily Dache to mention a few celebrated
milliners
List
of styles
Hats come in different varieties, function and
applications. They are practical, stylish, funny or contemporary and are highly
favored by many people. Here are a few hat styles that caught our attention.
1
Balmoral bonnet is traditional Scottish cap
worn to complement traditional Scottish outfits
2
Baseball cap a light cotton cap with a hard
front flap
3
Bicorne a broad brim felt
4
Biretta
a square shaped cap
5
Boss of the plains is a light weight
6
Bowler hats a hard felt
7
Cappello romano a wide brimmed hat worn by
roman catholic clergy
8
Chengziguan a Chinese traditional horse hair
9
Conical Asian is well known in Southeast
Asia
10
Fascinator a small hat made from feathers
11
Deerstalker a close fitted tweed
12
Gat a traditional Korea
13
Half-hat
14
Halo-hat
15
Homburg hat is a medium brim crown
16
Kolpik a large brown fur
17
Kufi a short round brimless cap
18
Montera the Bull fighters
19
Panama hat is an Ecuadorian straw
20
Cowboy hat favored by American cowboys
21
Ayam Traditional Korean cap worn by writers
22
Akubra is an expressive Australian bush
23
Beanie cap is a silly cap worn by school boys
24
Bearskin is a tall furry hat worn by the
brigade of Guards in London, England
25
Beret is a woolen felt tight fitted brimless
headband associated with military wear
26
Breton has a round crown and deep brim turned
upside down.
27
Capotain is an old English cap.
28
Cloche hat a bell shaped hat used in the
1920.
29
Custodian helmet is a traditional helmet worn
by British constables.
30
Draped Turban are molded to the head and
conceals the hair
31
Fez red felt cone shaped one
32
Hard hat rigid and rugged helmet favored by
construction workers.
33
Mortarboard hat is an academic design with a
flat square.
34
Porkpie a low fat, narrow rim felt
35
Rasta cap a colorful green, yellow, red and
black cap worn by Rastafarians
36
Sailor hat a flat crowned, brimmed straw
37
Songkok a hat worn by Indonesian, Malaysia
and Southern Thailand Muslims males
38
Sombrero a popular Mexican hat that has a
conical shape and saucer shaped brim
39
Turban is more like a headdress than a cap. However
it has an inner cap
40
Toque hat a funny looking conical hat worn by
chefs
How
to Succeed as a Designer
The first step is to learn the trade and gain lots of
practical millinery skills. The entrepreneur should be artistic and creative to
get ahead in this business.
Other things to learn is color combinations and texture
of materials used in making them. The
person needs to effectively analyze fabric, designs and the production process.
Apart from the technical and creative aspects of hat
making there is the business side. The entrepreneur should acquire business
knowledge and marketing skills.
You can succeed in this business if you have good designs
and quality products. Try to understand the product and sales aspect of hat-making business.
Get
Organized
Are you interested in the fashion industry then this is a god business to explore. You need to be good at designing,
interpreting templates and fabric identification.
Hats have a lot to do with hand made craft so
develop you handling skills. You also need to be abreast of the fast changing trends
in hat making.
Get company registration for your business and essential
tools of the trade. You can open a workshop or work from home.
Buy the necessary equipment's and source for your
materials and goods. Get adequate financing for your business through bank
loans and cooperative initiatives.
Don’t be afraid to get creative and try new patterns and
designs. Don’t forget marketing which is and essential part of creating
awareness about your product.
Things
you need to make a Hat.
There are essential tool that you need to make your hat.
The first thing you need is a hat mold, fabric, sewing implements and
blocking. You need a machine to shape the hat, certain chemicals, embellishing
items, dyes and trims.
Sales
Outlets
When you are ready to sell your hat there are a few sales
options to consider. You can use
departmental stores, garment manufacturers or niche markets.
Another way is to open your own store to display your
designs. Attend weddings and distribute your handbills and call cards to
guests.
You can attend exhibitions, trade fairs and trade shows
to showcase your products. Develop samples and prototypes to market your
creations. Don’t forget the vast resources you get on the internet.
Build a website or blog to market your wears. You don’t
even need an outlet if you use free
classified websites to attract customers.
You can team up with cap wholesale distributors or create
your own cap. Other methods to reach potential customers is through marketing
Marketing
your Business
The most effective way to market your caps is through
newspaper advertisements. A well worded advert with images of your products and
contact information will bring in new customers.
Print hand bills, posters and business cards to reach
more customers. There is nothing wrong in placing a cheap advertisement in a
large churches bulletin.
Church members are known to have high patronage for hats.
How
to Start a Making Hats
1 Learn as much as you can about the craft
There
are many resources online including instructional videos and tutorials. Buy
books on cap and hat making or read free publications.
Register
as an apprentice to a celebrated milliner or find workshops and
seminars.
2
Create a business
plan
Your
hat making business plan should include a niche, target market and growth
potential. Other things in your plan are product pricing, service and delivery,
marketing, inventory and startup costs.
3 Get funding
You
need adequate funding to buy equipment's, rent a workshop space and buy the cap
materials. Get funding from trade banks, personal saving and family and
friends. You can even try a venture capitalist or a silent partnership.
4
Obtain appropriate licensing
Your
millinery business needs appropriate licensing from the regulatory agency in
your locality. The next step is getting a registered business name for your
brand. Other licenses you may need are resale license and DBA license.
5
Make a proper inventory
The
inventory will direct your sales and supply including expenditure. Proper inventory
taking is important to reduce wastage.
6
Create your masterpiece
Without
a good product there is no business or sales. Work hard on the concept and
design of your hats.
A
good hat will attract other customers to your creations.
7 Open a sales outlet
If
you have the capitals open a showroom to display your hats. Give free sample to
notable socialites that love hats as a marketing tool.
Create
a website to showcase your work and join craft fairs.
Approach
storefronts and consign or sell your products.
Host
hat parties and spread the word though social media channels.
 |
| image by pixabay |
Conclusion
If
you are not interested in manufacturing hats then become a wholesaler or
retailer. All you need to do is find a reputable manufacturer or dealer and buy
your products.
Make
sure your storefront is in a busy location to attract customers. It is
important to do lots of visibility study and due diligence before starting the business venture.
0 comments:
Post a Comment