Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-30
BONNET BUILDERS.
THE RARE COMBINATIONS THAT
GROW UNDER SklLLFUL HANDS. i

Six Thousand Gotham MiIIiners Busy as
Bees Turning Out Bonnets and Sweet
Little Winter Hats-special Talent re-
quired to Become an Expert.
Bonnets and hats arc made by tho million
every season. But low often does the wearer
of an exquisite bonnet think Of the milliner
who fashioned its dainty beauty, who ar
ranged the bows in such complete yet artistic
grace, who placed tho feathers in such q
unique and becoming manner, and turned
out such gem of complete and satisfactory
beautya Not often, it is to be feared. Yet
what would the woman Of fashion do without
that artist, the true milliner; for a fine mil
liner 4 an artist in coloring as much as any
painter in oils, and is obliged to be as deft
with her fingers
The milliners Of New York muster some
5000 or G,000 and are Of every degree, from
the little apprentice who takes home the
precious bonnets and hats in big bandbox,
up to the head trilnmers and designers who
go abroad every summer to CLEAN new ideas
from Paris, the center OF fashion
''How long does it take to learn the milliner
trade9' asked reporter of tho proprietor of
a large establishment.
"Oh, several years to 60 from the foot to
the top of the ladder" he responded. "There
are so many different branches to the trade
that few people think about. Some ladies
say: Oh, could learn to trim beautifully il
only had few lessons but they could not.
We never take apprentices here unless they
know how to face and bind, to shirr and line
nicely"
LEARNING TIIB TRADE.
A pretty blue-eyed girl who was covering
tall turban with darll-green velvet said: at
took me year to learn the trade Now I
prepare hats for the trimmer, and that is next
to being trimmer. In another year shall
advance that far bind face and line hats
and put on the outer covering of plush or vel
vet The trimmer then takes it and arranges
the bows and feathers, pins and clasps"
The reporter entered q largo work room in
fashionable uptown establishment, where
hat of the plainest kind cannot be purchased
for less than $50. Over twenty girls, ranging
IN ages from 10 up to 30 years, were seated
at work by long tables, under the direc-
ton of a little Frenchwoman, who walked
up and down the room inspecting the work of
each one.
At tho lower end of the table small,
brown-eyed girl was sewing tho wire about
hat of dark brown straw, while her near
neghbor top-sewed facing which the third
one was to put on. At the head of the room
were two young ladies handsomely dressed,
one engaged in fastening cluster of swallows
in dainty bonnet Of blue and gold, and the
other cycling the effect of cluster of feath-
ers on Gainsborough hat, perched on the
head of pretty maiden of II.
"You see here all the stages Of the millinery
trade" said the forewoman. II design the
hats-those that are not copied from imported
ones. They are first given to the little ap-
prentices at the end of the line and go upward
until they reach the head trimmer. The hat
or bonnet is then judged by me, and, if salts
factory, ticketed, brushed off and put in a
box. AS each person completes her work
inspect it, and if it is not perfect point out
the defect and it is done over again"
SPECIAL TALENT REQUIRED
"Does it require any special talent to be-
come a good milliners Oh, yes, indeed Up
to a certain line we can teach any one with
neat, deft fingers, but it takes Unborn taste
and good Judgment, to say nothing of an
artistic eye for co!oring, to trim well. A
good milliner knows by instinct where to
place q bow or loop; how to mingle two
colors or materials harmoniously. Sometimes
the droop or poise of a feather a half inch
will make a great deal Of difference. Ex-
Guisite neatness is required even in a beginner,
eor stitch at all misplaced is sure to be OBJ
served. A person who has no artistic taste
can never be a good milliner think it is
more of q profession than trade"
The salary paid to all apprentice is gener-
ally very small. If she runs errands it may
be as high as SO the first month, and this is
increased to Sc and sS at the end of the first
year. Good trimmers get from s25 to $40
a week and some designers as high as $50 and
S75, but the average salary is about $40
The work is not considered so tiring as
dressmaking and is far more pleasant as the
daintiest of materials only are handled. In
most large establishments there are three or
four departments, each with special designers
and trimmers, one for ladies' bonnets, another
for hats, one foi shisSes' hats and still another
for children's.
"There are ten times as many good milliners
in New York as there were five years ago."
said a prominent dealer. 1.-THE fact is that
educated women have found it to be a trade
needing sufficient study and talent to satisfy
their ambition, and it pays as well or better
than teaching. The majority of milliners,
especially among the young girls, are noted
for their good looks modest behavior and i'll
telligence, and there 10 reason for this-a
girl who has not these attractions cannot be-
come good milliner. New York Journal