A NEW IDEA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21300, 2 April 1931, Page 15

A NEW IDEA

COLOUR FOR MEN SENSATIONAL EXPERIMENT. (From' Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, February 19. Every street in the Empire should soon be like a rainbow if men are game enough to fall in with the ideas of one of the most eminent firms of hatters. This firm is prominently housed at the British Industries Fair at Olympia, in the main avenue, and so unusual is the display that everyone has to stop to look—even if not to go in and order. There is no retail trade at the fair, so, given time to think matters over, the individual man may decide not to be influenced. If there could bo retail buying there might be some smart men about town who would experiment, if only for fun. In their endeavour to revolutionise fashions in men’s felt hats by bringing out “ brighter, better British ” notions the firm shows men’s 'soft felts in a range of wonderful colours—all in the spectrum. The quality, of course, is first-class. There is a marvellous chrome yellow, offirially called “ tangerine ” (good for the brunette) ; a deep crimson is shown as “firefly” (also good for a dark complexion), and in the same complexion category one would place the rich orange —a beautiful shade—which is labelled “ pimpernel,” together with a paler lemon which is known as “ sunshine.” For the blonde among men there has been prepared a wondrous jade, or kingfisher blue, and a Roman purple, which is like a lovely hyacinth. In every case, the “ trimmings ” are subdued or neutral. Will they be worn? One hardly dares prophesy one way or the other. The world’s civic avenues will indeed be like lines of dazzling ribbons if the new notion takes on. In that case, the women will retire into the neutral tints of beavers, greys, and drabs, and leave the men to decorate the world in colourful headgear.