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18th Century Milliners

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Additional Resources

Of the Milliner, The London Tradesman (1747)

Of the Milliner, The parent’s and guardian’s directory (1761)

What is an 18th Century Milliner / Marchande de Modes?

The Face of Fashion: Milliners in Eighteenth-Century Visual Culture

Clockmakers, Milliners and Mistresses: Women Trading in the City of London Companies 1700-1750

Millinery and Milliners in Colonial Virginia, 1750-1780

Women Merchants and Milliners in Eighteenth Century Williamsburg

Milliners of Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century

Last updated: June 24, 2026

This page focuses on illustrations of milliners, who tend to be depicted either in their shops, on the way to see clients, or showing their wares in clients’ homes. Newspaper advertisements, trade cards, and other records provide useful details as to what sorts of wares an 18th century milliner would have sold.

Millinery shop interiors

Milliners en route

Typically, milliners carry their wares in a rectangular box with an arched top, although other shapes also appear (such as large disc-shaped boxes ideal for wide hats).

Milliners in clients’ homes

Milliners often visit their customers at their dressing tables.