THE SAILOR HAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11692, 29 June 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE SAILOR HAT.

"A NATIONAL INSTITUTION." Tire round straw sailor hat is more omnipresent than ever. Starting from the humbler ranks of the coster and factory girl, it has vanquished even the gorgeous velvet and feathers which have hitherto been regarded as the typical headgear of the class; it has captured the vast army of waitresses, girl clerks, and typists; and suburban, young ladies do their morning shopping in it. It!?, advantages may be quickly conceded. It is. inexpensive, exceedingly durable, stands the worst weather, and not only suits but is particularly becoming to the majority of English fates. . So universal is it, in Its, obvious newness, that it seems to claim some attention as a factor of commercial importance at the present time, and, from thus point of view, a, call upon one of the great straw and millinery wholesale firms of Camion-street, London, elicited some surprising information. " The sailor hat Si as become? a national institution," smilingly admitted the wellinformed and court-elms manager. of this department, " and so far as we in llie trade can judge, there is nothing that is likely to contest its position. But come with me to these showrooms, as I can then prove to you how it is graded to suit all demands." They were long, lofty, well-lighted apartments, and they were stacked from end to end with thousands of the familiar hats, while it was notable that three out of four milliners' buyers who were selecting spring stock were themselves wearing hats of the design. A request to see the cheapest'that could bo sold was promptly answered, and a quite neat, light, and well-shaped hat with a narrow band of black was taken up. Thousands and thousands of this hat have appeared in the shop windows of the working class districts as "special lines for the holidays," at 6{d each. By steps of a penny they rose to Is 6J.J. and even a nonexpert could trace the gradual improvement iii the qualify of the straw, the better-look-ing ribbon, and the neater lining. 1 About 2m would seem to mark the climax of the popular varieties, and after that come the finest makes, such as the fashionable West End ladies' tailors supply with country 01 seaside dresses, at very much higher prices. Luton, in Bedfordshire, is the headquarters of the trade which has brought amazing prosperity to the town, and should bo gratefully regarded if only for the fact that the making and blocking of the hats are a purely British industry. Only tire straw plaits used for the very highest qualities are English, and to the cheaper classes Japan is a very large contributor. The trade, in its present proportions, is a development of little more than the last decade, and is traced to the "boat-shaped" or Tyrolean hats which a few years ago jumped into such sudden favour, and alforded the hitherto wanting object lesson that it was not necessary to wear heavilytrimmed hate or bonnets in order to have a becoming head-dress. Then, as girls took to boating and other athletic exercises, they learnt that there was no shape more convenient than that adopted by their brothers. Knowing lu>w unaccountable are fashion's ways,, various other shapes have been prepared, and are duly offered by manufacturers, with brims to curve downwards ovee the face and back, or with crowns wider towards the top, but for once the Englishwoman's innate sense of fitness has triumphed, and she has realised that the whole charm of the hat lies in its uncompromising severity. The only innovation that has at all "caught on" this season is the substitution of a brown leather band and buckle for the plain , band- of black ribbon. ■"