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The cloning of the <i>ATML1</i> gene, encoding an HD-ZIP class IV transcription factor, was first reported in 1996. Because <i>ATML1</i> mRNA was preferentially detected in the shoot epidermis, cis-regulatory sequences of <i>ATML1</i> have been used to drive gene expression in the outermost cells of the shoot apical meristem and leaves, even before the function of <i>ATML1</i> was understood. Later studies revealed that <i>ATML1</i> is required for developmental processes related to shoot epidermal specification and differentiation. Consistent with its central role in epidermal development, <i>ATML1</i> activity has been revealed to be restricted to the outermost cells via several regulatory mechanisms. In this review, we look back on the history of <i>ATML1</i> research and provide a perspective for future studies.