Karen Seiger
- Aug 5, 2014
- 3 min read

Katherine Carey Creates Handmade Hats to Top Off Your Style

Katherine Carey Millinery Brown Bow Boater

I am a hat person. I don’t wear hats very often, but they generally suit me. So I stopped in my tracks recently when I spotted a wonderful display of stylish boaters and cocktail hats and more by Katherine Carey Millinery at The Market NYC.

Milliner Katherine Carey sports a handcrafted Boater

Katherine Carey is an incredibly creative and skilled milliner. You can see a distinct Old World quality in her work, from the fine materials and rich gros-grain ribbons to the expert craftsmanship. What makes her designs particularly special is the whimsy she instills in each piece.

I love a classic boater, and Katherine makes beautiful ones. They polish off a classic look on men or women in elegance and style. I believe her hats should be mandatory attire for renting a row boat in Central Park.

She also creates a wonderful range of fascinators, or small adornments that perch on your head. In fact, many of them feature birds or nests with tiny eggs in them, perfect for next year’s Easter Parade. Others have twigs and ribbons, or colorful flowers. You shouldn’t need a special occasion to wear them. But if you’re going to walk around the city with a robin’s nest on your head, you need to do it with the utmost conviction.

Katherine Carey Millinery Blue Bird Fascinator

Originally from Hawaii, Katherine moved to New York City to grow her millinery business. She opened up her boutique at The Market NYC, and she recently moved into a space right at the front entrance, where her hats are shown in the best natural light.

You can often find Katherine making hats right in the market. She uses the top quality materials, much of which she finds in limited quantities. Ask her about custom work if you have a particular style in mind. She loves working with wedding parties. Her bridal work features gorgeous, handmade flowers, feathers and rhinestones. She can create designs for a bride and all her bridesmaids. Grooms can wear her dapper boaters or fedoras in styles for any season.

She recently launched a new collection of headbands and fascinators made from New York City Subway maps. She’ll carefully select a part of town to feature in each hat (look for your neighborhood), and she will carefully laminate the section of the map. She will finish off the piece with a ribbon edge, a bit of tulle to add dimension, and possibly an elastic band to keep it on your head.

If you love hats, you must add an original Katherine Carey to your collection. And do it now while you can chat with her, try on all her hats and get her best advice. She is sure to be discovered soon. Hers is an old craft that is fast becoming new again, and she is leading the way.

Follow Katherine Carey Millinery on Facebook and Twitter, and watch her amazing videos on Youtube! Visit her in person on Wednesdays – Sundays at The Market NYC, 159 Bleecker Street.

~Karen Seiger, Markets of New York City