Millinery Needs Form And Colour Sense

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28481, 10 January 1958, Page 19

Millinery Needs Form And Colour Sense

Millinery and hat-making for men are specialised branches of the clothing trade. Girls are employed as millinery apprentices. There is no regular provision for boys to learn model millinery. A small number of male milliners, however, have established their own model salons, having obtained their tuition privately. In hatinaking there is a definite apprenticeship available for boys. Artistic ability in colour and form, good eyesight and nimble' fingers are needed. There is no particular age or educational requirements, but employers prefer juniors to commence between 1518 years of age and it is desirable to have two years' post-primary education. Apprenticeships Girls are apprenticed for three years. Boys employed in the trade are apprenticed under the New Zealand Bespoke Tailoring, Clothing, Hat-making, Fur Cutting and Glove Cutting Apprenticeship order for a period of five years.

Model workrooms are usually small, with six or fewer workers, and are often attached to the millinery departments of big stores.

Apprentices, are taught the ■Pecial hand stitches used by milliners. They usually begin by

• doing fairly simple work, such f as wiring and whipping the edges - of hat brims. During the train- . ing period, apprentices learn how • to block and shape hats. k Trimming is important and , milliners with artistic ability and • a knowledge of fashion often have I opportunities to design individual - model hats. Machine-Made

Most hats for genera] sale are manufactured in workrooms by machinery. Wooden blocks are imported each year in shapes dictated by fashion for that season. The hoods and capelines are moulded on these with the aid of steam vents. This blocking process is done by men or boys. The hat is then finished by girls, who trim the rough edges, sew in the head bands, machine and wire the edges. Under the direction of a senior milliner the various trimmings are devised and attached.

Wages are governed by the same awards as operate for the clothing trade. This means that the minimum commencing wage is about £3 a week, rising by regular increases till the end of the apprenticeship period. Workrooms are not so numerous as in the clothing trade and therefore senior and charge positions are somewhat limited in number.