THE HATPIN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 97, 17 January 1908, Page 3

THE HATPIN.

[Bt Jenny When.] ' : •' Timo. was' when tho hatpin -was /a plain,, neat object of utility, with no pretensibns towards any -other purpose than that' of- securing the hat. more firmly to tho woarorYhead. Its growth within tho last three, or four years .has • been startling and rapid. 'From beginning with a modest shiny head, as largo as a pea, it has gono on steadily .increasing in sizo and design till now ono often wonders what the approximate weight' can be, and, whether. tho full growth has yet. been reached. Probably not. Tho vagaries and extravagancies of Da mo Fashion can never "be limited or forotold. The \hatpin, as it now is, should surely provo Co be a -valuable weapon of defence in an emergency.'. It most certainly is a dire menace to' faco and eyes hi a closely packed crowd, where,-turn as you will, a grim ghastly array of steol points protruding thrcs or four inchcs beyond tho wearer's hat threatens to end both'life and beauty.- •-.■■■ A largo field is opened up to tho inventive mind, but whether full advantage is taken of it is a question that one answers somewhat .doubtfully at.times. . So many, ugly ;pins -are •to be seen among'tho collections that/are 'oirerc'd for sale, and so few . uncommoh, pretty or.-interesting ones. It could";be forgiven if,:.thcy were even fantastically' ugly, .but.thero they lie beforo tho .eyes; in'.so"majiy cases , large solid balls of aggrpsSiyelS' 'coi"oiirod^'ugliness—hundreds of them.' : : ' Egypt, is proyiiig treasure troveou'st iibw, as'thp hatpins shoiv.-Many of tho very newest ji,aye tho profilesof onco mighty Vv,'kiiigs, qpeens, and warriors stamped upon' coloured backgrounds, others again with symbols representing tho ,deities. They arc really very interesting. Onb could hardly -.use six ■,or seven of.-tlism.at a time, however/ a& orio'so frequently needs to do in this _ windy, ..cityto keep a hat within meeting distance of" tne head.- The riddle would run—"Hero are tho pins; find _tho hat," Some, again, have the head consisting entirely of "-tEe scarabeus — most cov.etable things. . Very- pretty pins of qn'amol and '.oxidised silver aro to bo found worked out in quaint designs, and now.aiid again one comqs across a charming cameo vwith "a .iredgpvood bjue background. ; Mo-ther-of-pearl makes simply jbeautiful hatpins, ayd -tho tinting harmonises with very many colours. A .disadvantage about thci largehollow pins is .that 'thoy .aro' most. brittle',■ breaking at '.-tho least ' .pressure. • Tbero is, one thing to bo said in favour of the-large! heads of . the pins; arid that is that ono has' jiot;-to gropeapout for half an,hour before it can be withdrawn from'tho hat, often in tlie ertd "havinn; to seek assistance: ■ .-; Africa has made a contribution to this necessity of everyday )i,fo. O.rio sees African pins cverywhoro. Largo berries, about , the size of an acom, half black,' half Ecarlot, they arc typical of tho country they have como from. In somo curious way they arq utterly barbaric and could only come froftY'tivo savage places of tho world.',.' Possibly, if ono woro a black .princess 'thore might bo ploa'-. sure in wearing . them, though not as hatpins.'- • Many womon liavo in their possession oldfashioned brooohes,'-rings; earrings and beads -that tjioy wpuld not part with for tho world, and yet have no use for. Most o'f ilioso can easily bo converted into hatpin heads with most satisfactory results. The samo tiling can bo dona with buttons, for many have a'stor? of really beautiful ones that aro lying idly by, hidden and forgotten. ■ ' *. These are instances of pins that stand out against the vast number of brass things with coloured glass, tinselled balls, largo': beads, and unbeautiful creations everywhere to' be. soon for sale. Being such indispensable j .tides of . the feminine toi'lottq,- they' •might well be decorative, in keeping : with tjie wearers, instead of tho inartistic things th'py so. often are...