Behind every beautifully shaped hat is a wooden block. These hand-carved forms are the foundation of traditional millinery, and they have barely changed in hundreds of years. My collection of over 170 vintage hat blocks is one of the things that makes my work distinctive.
"Each block has its own personality and history. There is a special 1960s block from French milliner Jean Barthet, who created hats for Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly. When I use that block, I am shaping something on the same form that once shaped hats for icons."
— Kathryn Lee
What Is a Hat Block?
A hat block is a solid wooden form, usually carved from balsa, obeche, or lime wood, over which a milliner stretches dampened or steamed material to create a three-dimensional hat shape. There are crown blocks (which shape the top of the hat) and brim blocks (which shape the horizontal part). Some are combined into single-piece blocks for specific shapes like cloches and berets.
Why Vintage Blocks Matter
Modern hat blocks are still made, but vintage blocks from the early and mid-twentieth century offer shapes that are no longer commercially produced. They carry the design sensibilities of their era: the sweeping curves of the 1930s, the structured elegance of the 1940s, the bold geometry of the 1960s. Using a vintage block gives a hat a character that feels both timeless and unique.
- My oldest blocks: Date back to the 1920s and came from European atelier sales.
- Jean Barthet block: A 1960s block from the French milliner who dressed Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly.
- Why I collect them: These shapes are not available in modern millinery. They allow me to create silhouettes that no one else is making.
How Blocking Works
The material, whether straw, felt, or sinamay, is dampened or steamed until pliable. It is pulled over the block, pinned in place, and left to dry. As it dries, the fibres set permanently into the shape of the block. The blocked piece is then removed, trimmed, wired, and finished.
A Living Collection
My collection of over 170 blocks keeps growing. I source them from antique dealers, estate sales, and retiring milliners around the world. Each one adds a new shape possibility to my repertoire, and many of them carry stories of the hats they have shaped before.
