Delaware State journal and statesman., 1869-06-08
The Clothes Mania.

That Alpine hat which broke out upon us
with so much violence last September, and
which, am told. has not vet spent lts losHe 7
in the iarcrfUf tJtdtuS5 Is a goou lAnafauVH
al the way in which q fashion originates,
utakes, u spreads, RACES, declines, dies away
in the distance, and is lost to view, until II
pleases our sovereign lords, the iashlon-
makers, to spring it upon mankind again. |
The son of a New York halter, late IN the
wear 1867 while making the tour oil Europe
found himself at Naples, where he nollced
nrettv green hat that was much In vogue,
called the Alpine hat. 1t was steeple,-
crowned, with wide brim, and broad black
ribbon round the crown which was further
decorated by feather. 1t differed from the
familiar Tyrolese hat, which we often see at
the opera upon the heads OF picturesque pan
ditti, chiefly in having the brlm turned up,
instead OF down, and in having deep, reRu-
lar dent or cleft in the top OF the crown, such
as all soft hats have when they are un-
hacked, The young halter, though on
pleasure bent, had a mind attentive to pusl-
ness. and lie sent one OF these hats nome 10
his father, who placed it In his store Tor the
amusement of his customers IL was as
though be had said "See what things those
absurd foreigners wear Yes, SIT, they
actually wear that kind OF thing In Naples !
, out of doors, in broad daylight Just fancy
a man wearing green hat with feather In
it, In the street !"
For three months or more this hat, so
pretty at Naples so ridiculous In New YORK
was exhibited In the hat store In Broadway
10 without exciting in the breast OF any man a
desire to possess it. The reallsnc drama was
then in fashion. Managers advertised their
new effects as patented; dramatists sought
the twoiold protection of the Patent once
% and the copy-right law, and would not per-
nit the hero of another mans play to incur
any but an original peril. The hats
worn upon the stage being thus as real as
the real water of the stage fountain, ana the
real donkey of the stage cart, this romantic
hat was not IN request for the drama. In
deed. II remains unsold at the present mo-
ment. and may still be inspected by the Gu
rious' But one day it occurred 10 the philo-
. sophie mind of the halter VINO owned II
that, apart from Its green color and IL
feather, the fundamental ideas OF this ha
were good, and were also in harmony VIII
the tastes OF the American people. IL
thought he saw in il a taking compromls
between the orthodox respectabillty OF tn
stiff and glossy cylinder, and the too care
less lowering loaierism OF soft felt. ID
Ju thought he could Americanlze the Maple
hat in sneh way as to combine the saiet
of the stovepipe with the grace that is later
in the slouch. Then he said, MAKE me
dozen hats of that pattern, but black, an
n. without a ieather.n In due time, the ma
y we're placed in the store for sale. The b
thew made was immediate and most decide
Every one who saw them was dellght'
with them, and they were all sold In a lie
hours. 1t is a long time since hatters ma
offered the public so pleasing union oil u
becoming, the comfortable, and the cony
nient. And about this time arrived IN NE
York the gallant band of English cricketel
wearing hats somewhat similar; and the
gentlemen, performing daily in the presen
of a great multitude, gave an impetus to
fashion. In short time the originator v
selling hundred Alpine hats day, and
ihe other hatters were in full cry after the
In n few weeks, one-half the better dress
men in New York were happy IN the &C
scionsness of having their heads more
comingly covered than they ever were
fore: and the other half secretly craVed
same happiness, but were prevented tT
indulging their desire by the noble dreat
wearing hat that everybody" wore.
'M In this little story of the Alpine hat
contained, as / have said, all the pnncil
I'M. that control the rise, spread, and extinct
of fashions But IN order 10 present
subject properly, we must go back of
Anime hat, and see by what steps we
rived at the state OF mind and taste wi
caused so many OF us TO adopt it SO cage
And this is subject which goes down to
en's depths of human nature. AS the topn
leaves OF the tallest tree draw their nour
=. ment from tho far distant and unseen I
Is and take their form, color, and texture I
the trees constitution and circumstance
there is a natural necessity that the leav
the willow shall be long and the leave
Office the holly shall shine; 50 the feathers ii
dies bonnets. and the shape OF mems
NJ and all the seeming caprices OF fashion
Cd controlled by law, originate in the natu
ooo" things, and are influenced by the cont
ing events of history. do not know
ithout waking sucks are seldom carried in
/. streets, where, three years ago it was