milliner
/ˈmɪlɪnə
/noun
A person who makes or sells women’s hats: Alison got a local milliner to make her a stunning hat...
- Thousands of modest proprietorships and partnerships - grocers, blacksmiths, fabric merchants, printers, tailors, dressmakers, milliners - sold specialized goods.
- Hatters, milliners, and haberdashers were highly regarded professionals, and every town would have numerous hatshops.
- Drapers and milliners, haberdashers and tailors, mercers and glovers - these were the ubiquitous tradespeople and retailers of Federation King Street.
Origin
Late Middle English (originally in the sense 'native of Milan', later 'a vendor of fancy goods from Milan'): from Milan + -er1.
In the 16th century the city of Milan in northern Italy was famous for making small articles of women's dress and other fancy goods. Those who sold them were the original milliners (or ‘milaners’). In time the word became restricted to ‘a person who makes or sells women's hats’.