Just in Case You Thought We Were All About Hats…

Hats may be one of the most visible parts of Bateman Original Designs, but they are certainly not the whole story.

Alongside the millinery, I have also been making bow ties, cravats and crossover ties — pieces that allow me to work with colour, texture and fabric in a very different way.

There is something I enjoy about taking a relatively small piece of fabric and turning it into something that can completely change an outfit.

A bow tie might be simple in shape, but the choice of fabric makes an enormous difference.

A smooth satin gives a completely different result from a textured silk. A soft gold can look formal and traditional, while moss green, olive, pewter or a floral pattern can give the same shape a much more individual character.

Just as with my hats, I am often led by the material.

Sometimes I find a fabric and immediately know what I want to make from it.

Other times it sits in the workroom until the right idea comes along.

The Moss Green Shantung Silk Bow Tie is a good example.

Shantung silk has a naturally slubbed texture, so it isn't perfectly smooth like satin. That slight irregularity is part of what makes it beautiful. It catches the light differently and gives the finished bow tie depth without needing anything added to it.

In that case, the fabric really does most of the talking.

Other pieces are made from lightweight satin, patterned fabrics or materials that I may only have enough of to make once.

That means some designs can be reproduced, while others will always remain one-offs.

 

 

I like having different options because not everyone wants to wear the same thing.

A classic bow tie can be formal, understated or playful depending on the colour and fabric.

A cravat gives a softer line and can work beautifully for weddings, racewear and formal occasions.

And then there are crossover ties.

These have a little history of their own within Bateman Original Designs.

My mother, Sheila Bateman, made crossover ties in the early 2000s after bridal shops specifically requested them. They were made for the bridal market and were part of the wider range of formalwear and accessories she produced at the time.

Bringing them back now feels like another small connection between the original Bateman Original Designs and what I am creating today.

I don't particularly like the idea that formalwear accessories always have to be predictable.

A black suit does not automatically need a black bow tie.

A wedding does not mean everything has to match perfectly.

Sometimes the most interesting part of an outfit is the piece that introduces a different colour, texture or finish.

That might be a pale gold satin bow tie, a dusty pink crossover tie, a navy cravat, or a moss green silk bow tie with just enough texture to make you look twice.

The same principle I use in millinery applies here too.

The piece should complement what is being worn — but it should still have a personality of its own.

These may be smaller pieces than a hat, but I approach them in much the same way.

The proportions matter.

The way the fabric sits matters.

The finish matters.

And the little details that most people may never consciously notice are often the things that make a handmade piece feel different from something mass-produced.

So, just in case you thought Bateman Original Designs was all about hats…

There are plenty of other things happening on the worktable too.

And there are more to come.

Helen Greville

Handmade in Melbourne by Bateman Original Designs.

Designed by Hand. Defined by Heritage.