People who make, sell, or are concerned with hats; plural of hatter.
From hatter (hat + -er) + -s plural. 'Hatter' emerged in Middle English for those in the hat-making trade.
The phrase 'mad as a hatter' comes from Victorian hatters who used mercury in felt-making, which poisoned them and caused erratic behavior—a real occupational hazard!
Hatters' guilds and professional associations historically excluded women despite their majority in the labor force. The term 'hatter' defaulted to male reference, erasing female practitioners.
Use 'hatters' inclusively for all practitioners of the trade. In historical contexts, clarify that women dominated hatmaking labor while being excluded from guilds and professional recognition.
Women were the primary hatmaking labor force and innovators; guild structures and professional histories centered male hatters while attributing their techniques and designs to male masters.
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