As Featured in ' ERA ' Magazine - Celebrating 20 Years of Millinery
The House of Hats is truly honored to be featured in ERA Magazine celebrating 20 years of millinery!
We’re thrilled to share the full article, which dives into our journey, the heart of our business, and features beautiful shots of our hats from our “ LE CHAPEAUX “ collection.
A huge thanks to Eleanor for a stunning issue! we’re incredibly grateful for the recognition—head over to ERA magazine to order your copy and enjoy the full story!
Reviving The Boudoir Cap
Bringing the Boudoir Cap Back, the House of Hats Way
At The House Of Hats, Antique fashion has never been something to admire from a distance.
For over two decades, our work has been guided by a love of timeworn beauty — lace softened by age, hand-finished details, silhouettes shaped by another era. These are the pieces that whisper rather than shout. The ones that carry history in their threads. The ones that feel alive.
It was only natural that the boudoir cap would find its way home here.
Once an essential part of a woman’s private wardrobe, the boudoir cap belonged to the intimate rituals of everyday life. Worn in bedrooms and dressing rooms, it was crafted from lace, silk, crochet, and chiffon — practical in purpose, poetic in presence. It existed beyond trends, created not to be seen, but to be felt.
Our love of antique fashion is what drew us back to this forgotten piece and our inspiration began the moment we found an original 1920s boudoir cap—so delicate and full of feminine charm.
That’s how our reimagined boudoir caps were born.
Antique Spirit, Modern Wearability
At The House of Hats, we reimagine the boudoir cap with a modern sensibility — preserving its romance while making it effortlessly wearable for today. Each cap is handcrafted using antique and vintage laces, ribbons and flowers chosen for their softness, irregularity, and quiet character. No two are ever the same.
The silhouettes are light, draped, and unstructured. Designed to sit comfortably on the head, they feel natural rather than precious — something you reach for instinctively, not something you save.
These boudoir caps are made to be lived in.
Wear one in the morning while the house is still quiet. Slip it on with a floaty dress, a silk slip, or unexpectedly with jeans and a knit. Let antique lace become part of your everyday wardrobe — not as costume, but as comfort.
Romance, Reclaimed
As dreamy, antique-inspired fashion returns — lace, softness, and slow beauty finding their way back into modern wardrobes — the boudoir cap becomes a quiet symbol of this shift. A reminder that femininity does not need an occasion, and beauty does not need permission.
By bringing back the boudoir cap in our own wearable way, The House of Hats invites antique fashion out of the past and into the present — where it belongs.
Because the most enduring kind of elegance is the kind you carry with you — softly, daily, and entirely your own.
Lace headwear trends are making waves in 2026, making the Edwardian and antique lace fashion revival more relevant and on-trend than ever
We invite you to explore our boudoir cap collection, thoughtfully handcrafted from antique lace and designed for modern wear.
Shop our collection of Boudoir caps now..
Our ‘ ROSEBUD ‘ Lace Boudoir Cap
Our ‘ LACE SERENITY ‘ Lace Cp
Happy 20th Birthday The House Of Hats
This year marks 20 Years since The House of Hats began — and even writing that sentence feels surreal.
What started as a small creative dream has grown, changed, paused, reinvented itself, and somehow endured through every season of my life. Businesses don’t usually last this long, especially creative ones, and especially ones built slowly, by hand, with heart rather than hype.
Twenty years ago, I began making hats because I loved them — the romance, the history, the craftsmanship, the quiet confidence a beautiful hat gives to the person wearing it. I never imagined how deeply intertwined this business would become with my life, or how many chapters it would quietly witness.
Over the years, The House of Hats has lived in studios, spare rooms, shopfronts, arcades, market stalls, and now online. It has survived economic downturns, personal upheavals, moves between cities and states, changing trends, changing bodies, changing priorities — and it’s still here.
That alone feels worth celebrating.
This brand grew as I grew.
It evolved as my taste evolved.
It slowed down when I needed to slow down.
There were times when I chased momentum, and times when I learned that rest and refinement mattered more. There were collections, commissions, bridal pieces, couture moments — and now, a gentler return to wearable, everyday hats made slowly, one at a time, with intention.
I no longer believe a business has to be loud to be successful. Or constant. Or exhausting.
I believe in longevity.
I believe in craftsmanship.
I believe in making beautiful things that last.
Thank you for being here..
If you’ve ever worn one of my hats, supported my work, followed along quietly, or checked in over the years — thank you. Truly.
Small businesses don’t survive 20 years without real people on the other side. Your support has meant more than you probably realise, especially during the harder chapters.
As The House of Hats steps into its third decade, it does so with more clarity, more softness, and more trust than ever before. This is a quieter era. A slower one. But one rooted deeply in experience, skill, and love for the craft.
Here’s to 20 years of hats, stories, reinvention —
and to whatever the next chapter holds 🤍👒👒👒
HAT SALE - Enjoy up to 20%
Hi Hat Lovers,
As you already know we’ve moved to Queensland and we are overflowing with hats in our new studio so we though it would be a great time to have a hat sale on selected current ready made hats, accessories & vintage hats..
Enjoy up to 20% off, head over to our online shop to shop now….
Thank you all for supporting our small business
Happy Winter with love,
Your Milliner
Ilana Xx
BY THE SEASIDE - Our SS23/24 Collection
The House Of Hats Newest Collection….’ BY THE SEASIDE ‘ is here just in time for summer.. Step into a world of timeless charm and elegance.
Get ready to elevate your summer style with The House of Hats latest collection of stunning handcrafted hats!
Made from only the finest material and inspired by the timeless fashion of the 1930s our new collection is the perfect addition to your summer wardrobe.
Offering nine new original handcrafted styles exclusive to our brand each delicate piece has been expertly handcrafted in our Sydney Studio by renowned Milliner Ilana Meilak, ensuring that every hat is of the highest quality and designed to last.
We’ve added our signature style of adding vintage trims and buckles to this collection to keep it authentic to the era.
Whether you’ve looking for a stylist for a day at the beach, a chic addition to your summer outfit or simply want to make a statement at your next event, our new collection has something for everyone.
So why wait? head over to our shop to view tghe full collection or pop into our Sydney Showroom to try them all on in person.
Trust us, you wont be disappointed…..
ilana is wearing our AHOY MINI BOATER in French Navy
Watch our ‘ BY THE SEASIDE Campaign Video to view the Collection
ONCE BITTEN...The House Of Hats New Halloween Collection 2022
ilana wears our ‘ LA BELLE ‘ Red Felt veiled Tilt Hat
October is finally here and you know what that means, yes you guessed it...HALLOWEEN.
If your anything like me, you count down the month's till Halloween and prepare a costume just to get your spook on.
Well i've been super prepared this year and have made an entire collection dedicated to the dark side.
I'm so excited to introduce to you our latest collection for halloween
' ONCE BITTEN ' inspired by all things Victorian gothic.
This collection is going to knock your socks off, I'm very proud of it and i hope you love it as much as I do.
Ever since I was a child i've always been fascinated with the Victorian era, the fashion , the Victorian houses ,the jewellery and everything else.
I always dreamed of owning an victorian bustle dress and hat of course hoping I could wear it and somehow time travel back to that time, so i've conjured up some of that time in this collection along with my love of all things vampires , witches , New Orleans & all the old haunted Mansions.
So here it is and you all get the honour of previewing it first.
We have seven new designs in this collection.
Introducing , our ' LA BELLE ' Hat which screams the Victorian Bustle era with her striped sash bow and face veiling.
Our ' GRACE ' hood hats made of the most luxurious velvet and detailed with vintage rare clasps .
Our ' SPELLBOUND ' Velvet turbans with Rhinestone Spider brooches and our ' ROSES OF RED silk flower headpieces.
Our ' ONCE BITTEN ' Collection is perfect to bring out the dark goddess in you just in time for Halloween.
I hope you all enjoy this collection as much as I did creating it.
Head over to our online boutique to view the full collection.
Wishing you a very spooky season & happy Shopping
Love Ilana
Your Milliner x
ilana wears our ‘ GRACE VELVET HOOD ‘ In Raven
ilana wears our ‘ROSES ARE RED ; Silk flower Headpiece
ilana wears our ‘ROSES ARE BLACK ‘ Silk Flower Headpiece
ilana wear our ‘GRACE ‘ Velvet Hood in Crimson
ilana wears our ‘SPELLBOUND ‘ Velvet Turban in Raven
ilana wears our ‘ SPELLBOUND ‘ Velvet Turban in Crimson
Behind The Scenes of our new Showroom
Behind the scenes of The House Of Hats new showroom in Sydney Australia
We have been super busy designing and renovating our new space and creating our beautiful new showroom.
Before our renovation
We started off with a blank canvas in this victorian room with stunning marble fireplace and ornate ceiling as our feature.
Black Feature Wall
We wanted to stick with my logo colours , so went with a black feature wall around the fireplace and light green walls.
The theme for the room was inspired by the old victorian millinery shops back in the 1900s , we already had this antique timber mirror but we jazzed it up by painted it gold and how spectacular does it look .
We managed to find an incredible antique 1920s copper & glass shop display counter which was the perfect fit in the middle of the room and we also found a antique velvet chaise lounge at an estate sale that fits in with the theme perfectly.
Willow modelling on our Antique Chaise
We painted our wooden hat stands gold to match our feature mirror.
Our Gold Wooden Hat Stands
We designed the shelf layout and found a local carpenter that custom made a cupboard and timber shelves built on both wall for hat display and hat box storage.
Design for Shelves
Finished Timber Shelves
We are now just in the final stages of finishing and are just waiting on curtains and another cabinet to be painted and we will be finished,
Stay tuned for the final reveal.
PETAL'S IN THE WIND The House Of Hats New Collection
Our New Collection ‘ Petal’s In The Wind features seventeen new beautiful Hats & headpieces designs just in time for the new season.
Inspired by the whimsical late 1970s with a twist of 1960's this collection is for the romantics and daydreamers.
Beautiful pastel colours with vintage floral prints , gingham and vintage sequins and Straw embroidered Hats all handmade in our Sydney Studio , this collection of hats and headpieces will bring happiness into your days.
WATCH OUR CAMPAIGN VIDEO BELOW.
As seen in CAMILLA'S New Collection ' PARTY LIKE'
We are so excited to have our ‘ PSYCHEDELIC ‘ Rainbow Velvet Turban featured in Camilla’s new Collection
PARTY LIKE…. Our PSYCHEDELIC Turban is the perfect turban for the party season.
