Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-06-13
HATS FOR THE LADIES.
Where the Various Kinds of Straw
Braid Come From.
A Glance Through the Factories
Where the Straw is Prepared
and the Hats Modelled
and Sewed.

woman toilet may be, and just at present
1t may be almost anything and still be
fashionable, for there never was in the
history of clothes such variety to choose
from, the eliminating point is the hat or
bonnet, as the case may be.
From the heather Chinese comes a large
proportion Of the braids for nlilady's all
important hat or bonnet. Ali of the
bralds for the finer bonnets and hats are
imported and fully three-fourths of them
come from China. Furthermore, it Is true
that those ladies who buy the best fancy
braldS, many of which are of wonderfully
beautiful and intricate design. are wearing
on their heads material produced on the
plantation of the emperor of China. From
Chu Foo comes the straw which
Is used In making what is known as
Neapolltan pearl-edge. The straw is tall
and at the bottom is coarse, while toward
the top 1t has a delicately fine fiber. in
the land of the celestial. where the last
atom OF everything which Is available Is
utilized, two and three kinds of braids are
made from the same stalk of straw. An
other kind of straw indigenous to China,
from which the Venetian braid is made
exactly reverses the method of growth of
the NeapolItan pearl-edge straw In that
the top Is heavy and coarse and near
the ground it is fine. From this straw
also are made several different kinds of
braids.
While what Is known as the saw-tooth
lace braid and a great many other varie-
ties come from China, there are quite a
number of fancy bralds which are made in
different part of Europe. Swiss and Ne
apolltan French lace braid come from the
border country of Switzerland and France.
The Milan and Florence-Milan braids are
made from peculiar grass which grows
IN great abundance in the region between
Florence and Milan.
The fine chip hats which are rarely dis
carded at the close of one season. not only
because they are expensive, but because
they are las good as new after they are
remodeled, with their unmistakable air OF
gentility and durability, are thoroughly
English both in make and material. The
graceful English willow, with its long,
delicate branches, is the material used,
and it is prepared by being buried in the
ground two and sometimes three years. II
is then tough and pulpy, and is divided
into tiny, even strips by means of peculiar
plans invented expressly for this purpose
1t is then braided by young girls and is
sold IN the different markets of the world
under the misnOmer of French chip.
Another braid which is exceedingly fine
and delicate, and is one of the especial re-
vIvalS of the present season, is that made
IN France of horses hair. Few hats are
made wholly of this braid, but 1t Is intro
duced with charming effects in the brimS
of tine straw hats
While the bralds are most of them i'm,
ported, the making of them into hats and
bOnnets is done in this country. The man
ufaCtorles devoted to the making up OF
these braids is much the same in all large
cities. When the styles have been decided
upon, the blocks and dies are made in
plaster and then are usually cast IN iron.
The blocks are used by the operators to sew
the hat to the fit shape.
The most difficult part of the manufact-
urer business is to get desirable styles
year after year. A cast is kept of all the
different shapes, and a most interesting
room in any of these factories is the one
fitted up from floor to ceiling with
shelves which are filled with these
casts. The variety of shapes represented
is almost beyond belief. Some of them
are many years old but these are quite as
valuable as later shapes. us they are more
likely to be revived, and, with a little re-
modelling, to be used again.
1t often happens that the very best ideas
as to styles are started by accident. Some,
times, In looking through the various
shapes. an old broken cast will suggest
something to the designer. and 10y adding
to and building around it not infrequently
the best selling shape of the year Is made
and fashion for the year established.
All the imported straws of whatever
kind are uniform In being of a yellowisE
tint when they are received at the factories
If the straw is made up IN colored goods
it is sent to the dye room; if it to be white
to the bleaching department. OF all ma
terial straw is the most difficult to dye
and it must remain in the watts from a few
hours to three days. Bleaching Is ever
a more difficult process than dying, ano
must be taken through eighteen different
changes before finished.
When the straw is bleached or colored.
as the case may be, 1t Is sent to the reelIng-
room, where it is carefully examined, all
the poor pieces removed, and the rest
wound on spOols ready for the sewers.
The work Is very carefully systematized,
and each girl in the reelingroom prepares
braid for a certain number of operators.
The operators are each of them seated be-
fore machine with block of whatever
style of hat they are making beside them.
First the crown Is made and then the
brim is put on, both being fitted on the
block as it is sewed 1t takes a good
operator about three minutes to sew hat
of ordinary braid The hats are run
through a thin solution of glue, which
stiffens them and the white ones are sent
beck to the bleachery. When they have
been sized they are sent to the blocking
department. The pressing machine has a
leather form the size and shape OF the hat
to be pressed and the pressure applied IS
500 pounds to the square inch. After the
hats are varnised they are placed in the
dryin&-rooms, which are like great bak-
ing vaults provided with shelves. When
they are perfectly dry they are ready for
the shops.
Something new every season, said d
Chicago manufacturer. Whatever it Is it
must be new. If there is the least sugges-
ton of last seasons style they will have
none of them; therefore, if, like history
we repeat ourselves, it must be at intervals
of at least several years" For this reason
quite a large department in manufactures
of this kind is devoted to the partial re-
serving and blocking over of hats left over
In the shops from the previous season, as
well as revamping those which have been
worn.
However, it must not be supposed that
styles in hats and bonnets are mere hap
penings or are the result of the whims of
manufacturers, for nothing is farther from
the truth The style in which the hair is
worn, the general trend of fashion, as well
as the shapes of the previous season, are
all taken into consideration in making up
shapes. and a large number are given the
public to select from as what will be fixed
upon as the favorite, and consequently the
really fashionable style Is one of those
those things about which no one is wise
until after the event.
i Woman's Wonderful Swim.
Pal Mall Gazette.