Suzanne Newman, owner of Suzanne’s Couture Millinery in New York City, firmly believes that “it is rare that someone does not look good in a hat.” If someone doesn’t look good, it is simply because “they haven’t found the right hat.”
In her lovely store on 61st Street, the 75-year-old milliner custom-makes the right hats: grand hats for the Kentucky Derby and Ascot races, beautiful bridal hats, hats for luncheons, hats for any special occasion. She uses a combination of artistic instinct and sewing skills she taught herself.
The right hat also depends upon the wearer’s personality, Suzanne Newman says. She prefers smaller, less showy hats. (Courtesy of Suzanne Newman)
Newman has always had an instinctive feeling for what looks good and a desire to make it herself. “When I was a child, I used to sew for my dolls,” she said. She never received a single sewing lesson, but she watched both her parents sew….