U-T profiles of notable local people

Making hats for a living seems like an old-fashioned profession, or at least something that’s only done in glamorous cities like Paris or Milan.

But San Diego has its very own milliner, Jill Courtemanche.

The Encinitas resident designs hats for everything from opening day at the Del Mar Racetrack to special occasions. She sells them at her Solana Beach studio as well as in boutiques throughout California, New York, New Jersey and Texas. (And online at

Courtemanche, who grew up in Maine and studied fashion in New York City, also has two young children. She discusses her life as a milliner and mother.

Q: What is millinery and why did you decide to pursue that?

A: Millinery is the art of making hats. I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in fashion, and when I stumbled on a millinery class while studying design in college, it was a perfect fit. I love the hands-on, physical process of making hats as well as the sculptural, three-dimensional aspect of designing them.

Q: Where did you learn how to do it?

A: I have a degree in Accessory Design from The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), but I really learned the “art” of hat making from Suzanne Newman, a milliner I worked for in New York.

Q: What was the first hat you ever chose to wear?

A: When I was in eighth grade, my brother gave me a black men’s bowler hat for Christmas. I was instantly obsessed! Something about that hat makes me feel so cool and sexy at the same time; I still have it.

Q: What’s your favorite hat you ever made?

A: A client commissioned me to make her a cocktail hat for her niece’s wedding with a music box inside so when she tipped her head it played “Here Comes the Bride”. It was a classic design in pinks and navy blues, very feminine, but the music box added that little bit of cheekiness. That touch of playfulness is what makes a great design in my mind, plus I loved the challenge of making it all work.

Q: What’s the hat-making process like? Do you have an idea and then create or do you get inspiration from materials?

A: A little bit of both. I am incredibly drawn to texture. I touch everything and I am always searching out fabrics and vintage millinery materials to drape and layer together. A lot of millinery is about the line and shapes you can create with a profile. My eye breaks everything down into shapes and I am constantly repurposing everyday items (the top to our fondue pot, pottery, even my children’s toys) to form hats on.

Q: Do you wear hats every day? Do you wish people still wore them regularly?

A: I do wear a hat every day and I really don’t understand why more people don’t! It’s not just about sun protection or warmth, but how it finishes off an outfit to create a look. I can’t tell you how many people I have met that open the conversation by commenting on my hat, plus you always get a better table in a restaurant.


