Rachel Trevor-Morgan’s atelier has been at 20 Crown Passage in St. James’s, London, for over 25 years.
Rachel Trevor-Morgan is a renowned British milliner, who has held a Royal Warrant since 2014 from Her Majesty the Queen, who has worn her creations on many high-profile occasions since. Personally, I adore wearing hats and found both Parts I and II of my interview with Rachel to be delightfully informative! Part I, which was featured last week, discussed several fascinating nuances of hat-making, while Part II of my interview below, touches upon the traditions and protocol in reference to hats.
*Please note that the U.K.spelling within Rachel’s answers may be different than our American spelling
~What protocol and traditions should one be aware of in reference to wearing a hat?
To be honest, whilst there were many hat ‘rules’ in the past, things are a little more relaxed these days. Here in the UK, there are events where hats are required, and in certain circumstances, certain size hats are required. I am of course talking about the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot where the dimension of a hat must be no less than 10cm. Hats are also required for Royal Garden parties.
~How do you decide what side of a lady's face a hat should be tilted?
Traditionally hats always tilt the same way. The brim of a hat always dips over the wearer’s right eye and lifts over the left. This is how we always make them. A smaller pillbox hat is worn over the wearer’s right eye and we always design them that way, but do occasionally make them the other way at the client’s request.
This is such a pretty, pink tulle bell hat with hand-made roses (R2192) from the Spring-Summer 2021 collection. The design hints at vintage Dior hats and is constructed with wire to give its bell shape and covered with tulle for an airy and light feel. The hat is fitted on a headband to give it the illusion that it is defying gravity.
~Which side of a hat is trimmed for a woman, and for a man?
Traditionally a gentleman’s hat is trimmed on the wearer’s left, and a lady’s hat would more often be trimmed on the wearer’s right.
~What time of day should a hat be removed?
If you have gone to the effort of commissioning a beautiful hat for an event, you want to keep it on for as long as possible! Having said that, of course, you would want to be respectful to your host and follow their lead.
~Was your mother or father a stickler for manners?
I did come from quite a formal background. My father was the vicar and as such we were in the centre of the community; he expected good behaviour! We always ate together in the dining room. Table manners are so important and are certainly something I notice. I have hopefully passed this on to my children.
~Tell us about your bespoke creations for the American market (OH JOY!), and how one would order a hat from you?
We have many styles on our website, some in the shop, and many more on our collection pages. We invite clients to contact us with their requirements ideally via email. We have a lot of private clients in America, and I am very keen to expand that. Modern technology makes this so easy now. We can then work with them on a particular order or special commission. We can give style advice and, if we have fabric samples, we can colour match to a particular outfit. Distance has not proven to be a problem; with communication, we can get it right!
CORRECTION:
My sincerest apologies! Last week's MMM featured an incorrect photo/ caption. Below is the corrected information.
A coral, fine-straw hat with hand-made silk roses and buds. This is a shallow crown hat so it is fitted with an elastic for extra security and can be made in any color to complement an outfit. The reference number is R2193.
Consider inspiring one or two friends to subscribe to MMM today!
Please join me on Instagram for daily inspiration.