A person who designs and makes hats as a profession; a milliner or hat manufacturer.
Formed from 'hat' (Old English 'hæt') with 'maker' (from Old English 'macian' meaning to make). The term has been in use since at least the 15th century, when hat-making was a specialized craft.
Hat-making was once a prestigious, highly-skilled trade—hatmakers belonged to powerful guilds and created elaborate, expensive hats that could take weeks to make. A master hatmaker's work was so valuable that it was sometimes insured against theft, making them entrepreneurs before modern business existed!
Hatmaking was historically gender-segregated; while women dominated the craft, 'hatmaker' defaulted to male terminology and male hat-makers received higher social status and wages.
Use 'hatmaker' gender-neutrally for all practitioners. When discussing history, acknowledge women's majority in the profession but erasure from premium market segments and historical records.
Women built hatmaking as a skilled trade and entrepreneurial domain; many ran successful businesses despite legal and market discrimination that favored male hat-makers.
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