Morning journal and courier., 1889-06-17
No. i43
HENS HATS, WHITE OR BLACK. The Sale of Black Ones Inereases ana
 of the White Decreascs.

From the New York Sun,
 Few high white hats will be worn this summer. The number of high white hats is diminishing every year. Formerly all most all downtown business men wore the tall white hats, while their clerks and boys wore white pot hats. Lightweight black hats, both high hats and pot hats, have been making inroads into the trade in the white hats. The advantage that the black have over the white hats is that they last longer, and can be worn in the fall. when the white ones have to be called in. The white hat spots and cannot be cleaned or brushed as easily as the black sort. Anoth- CT thing that is interfering with the sale of the high white hats is the fashion common among certain kinds of men of wearing 6 black silk hat with thin black walking coat, or in some cases with 8 check coat or even flannel suit. This is considered more dressy than wearing high white hat, while formerly high white hats were considered more dressy.A
 A Madison Square natter said: sWe find that the trade in white hats is diminishipa It is confined now more to men who acquired the habit of wearing high white hats long ago and still cling to it. Few young men in New York wear them. In other cities numbers are sold, but here there seems to have been 8 change in feeling. and for the last two years there has been somewhat of prejudice against them even among young
 
 year round. When they go off in the ooun- try they may wear straw hats or high white hats, or even aoft hats, but in New York they wear the black Derby and the silk hat the year around. We have been making silk hats in all weights and for so many diff fersnt purposes that man can wear @ silk hat the year around without being discom- moded by it. The trade in straw hats does not fairly open until the clerks in banks and stores begin going away on their summer va cations. Each one of them takes . straw hat with him, and hs does not buy it until within few days of the time when he starts.
 ''The high white hat sold by the Fifth av- enue and Broadway matters Is in style some- what like the silk hats of two years ago. It Is not on the same line as the spring silk hat, though few on that block are kept in stock. It has slight curving- rise from the brim to the top, with little more flare, viewing 1t from the front than from the sides. The brim is fairly wide, usually little wider than the brim of a silk hat, and not with so close a curl. It is made in a number of shades, varying from white to yellowish brown and gray"
 While he was chatting about the deca- dence of the high white hat the dealer brought out an English riding hat, which Is now the proper thing for a swell young man to wear. It is hot box. In style it is very like the ordinary silk hat, though 1t has straighter sides and suggestion of bit of boiler cut square across, polished and with brim to it. The hat weighs three times as much as silk hat for walking. The hat is stiff and brick let fall from a three-story window would not break through 1t. Inside the hat Is @ sort of 8 network like cloth cap, suspended from the sides of the hat so that before the hat can be jammed down over the wearer's eyes the cap inside must be torn from It's fastenings. Instead of the or dinary leather sweat band there is @ quilted cloth band. It must feel on mans head as if he had 0 rough flannel bandage tied around his brows. The brim of the hat is as stiff as the top. The inside is padded, besides having the cap piece. This mechan- ism and hat combined costs ten and twelve dollars.
 eve sell these hats to hunting young men," said the natter. "They are the real English hat, made In London and imported specially by us for our customers. The ob- jeot of the hat Is to prevent any injury to the rider in case he is thrown on his head. The whole body of the hat is stiffened, and the interior is arranged that man who wears it can be thrown and strike square on his head without injuring him. It will hurt the hat, but he can buy another one. The quilted sweat band is made heavy to absorb the precipitation and to retain the hat firmly on the wearer's head A string is worn with these hats which is attached to the hat and to the coat of the wearer, so that If 1t is blown of 1t will not escape him. We have quite trade in these hats, though do not understand why young man should wear high hunting hat for ride in the park. They seem to think that 1t is the proper thing to do, and they do it."
 The hat is an uncomfortable thing to wear, and no reason, except desire to preserve ones skull from occasional contact with the ground. could persuade e man who rides for pleasure and comfort to use it. It might be equally safe for man to put on an old pot hat after having stuffed 1t full of cotton bat ting. The network arrangement inside the English hunting hat suggests the network under trapeze in circus, which is to pre- serve the performer from injuries in case he is not sufficiently skilful in his gyrations.