The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-12-07
THE HAT BUSINESS.
Profits Of q Trade i'm Which Changes In
Style Play an Important Part.


A reporter DESTROYS of information
asked Brooklyn gentleman formerly
engaged in the retail hat business in
this city whether exceptional profits
were made in that line of trade. He
said:
1.-The profit in the hat business ranges
from 25 to so per cent. There is more
money in cheap hats than high-priced
ones. For instance. when was in the
business sold five-dollar hat Derby
on which made a little over dollar
profit. For the quality of hat named
paid $45 per dozen. L also sold hat
for So so which 10y the dozen cost me
s24. While on a cheap hat | made
profit of 81 so, on better quality re-
allied much less money. / would rather
sell three one-dollar hats than one
three-dollar one. Why? Because there
is more money in the cheaper quality
of hats. Wool DerbieS which sell for
one dollar each cost from five TO eight
dollars per dozen. For time wool
hat will make as good an appearance as
a felt one, but when the rain strikes the
wool the hat loses its glossy appear
ance. Probably you don't notice it,
but silk hats are not worn SO much now
as formerly. Certain sets of Americans
or Anglo-maniacS have discovered that
Englishmen i'm measure have taDOoed
the high or silk hat. This fact may
have some thing TO do with its present
unpopularity. Of course, for dress oc-
casions, the silk hat is the thing, but ]
think a fine quality of Derby makes
almost as good an appearance. In COM
parison with former Years but few high
white hats have been worn during the
past summer. High hats are unwieidy
for business. and should only be worn
bv elderly men in the day time. What
can be more ridiculous to man OF taste
than to see high silk hat worn with a
short coat or a Norfolk jacket? Yet
men who pretend to know how TO dress
often commit this breach of good form. ;"
What is the prevailing style in
hatS?" was asked"
1.-The STYLE differs but little from last
year. The brims are, perhaps. curled
a little more, and in many cases the
crowns are made lower. Still, a man
who bought hat late last spring
might wear it through the winter, that
is, if he doesn't wish to follow the style
i'm the minutest particular. The public
have an erroneous idea that a hat be-
comes a man and not that man be-
comes hat. 1t is all nonsense that
certain men can't wear different shaped
hats simply because their physlOgo-
mics are peculiarly formed. When
you go home take down a hat, If YOU
have preserved it, that you wore say
four years ago, put it on and look in
the glass. In your own eyes and those
of others you cut ridiculous figure,
but still you wore that hat four years
ago and no one remarked any thing
hid in your, appearance. Why this
sudden change in your appearance, you
ask? Simply because the old hat which
YOU put on is out of style, and the
styles since you bought it have been
so different that it appears old fashioned
in your sight. If YOU observe closely
the hats worn by your friends YOU will
find that it is not the hat which be.
comes the man. but the man who be.
comes the hat. DO You remember some
wears ago when the English curled
brim hat was so much worn? The style
the previous year was not nearly SO
much curl. and hatters wlrO had STOCK
left over simply curled their hats 10 the
prevailing style. 1t is seldom thai
hatters can dispose of their over stock
i'm the manner named.
What becomes of the hats left over
i'm stock each season.
They are sold or given away.
Farmers who are on to the trick will
on entering store ask for the last
seasons style. They don't care If the
hat is Just trifie out of style if they
can buy it fifty per cent. cheaper. lr-
responsible matters vino DO a transient
business often sell couniryman Off
season STYLES at the same prices OBJ
tanned for prevailing ones. Hats which
can be sold are sent 10 male inStitu-
ions. Hatters often sustain heavy
losses i'm stock left over. Stock lef'
over and big rents have mnch to do
with the high price of hats. If | should
leave the country for ten years and
hold no communication with those at
home. | could find ont whether times
were good or bad by visit TO a hat fac
tory. When times are flush manufac-
turers make fine qualities of hats. and
when they are dull the poorer qualities
have the largest sale.
''Do not manufacturers change their
STYLES for the purpose of compelling
fashionable men 10 purchase new hats
yearly?''
In measure, yes. If the styles
were not changed each season the fac
tories could not be kept running, Soft
felt hats are popular with many men.
They are costly. and are worth from
five To twelve dollars each according
to quality. Brooklyn Eagle.