Morning journal and courier., 1890-07-29

Parsee or the topi of Sindi This last, In.
deed, commends itself to out and ont sbhor-
rers as the reverse, as nearly a. may be, OF
the chimney-pot, for II has the same shape,
but the brim runs round the top Then We
may regard the aombrero of the Mexican,
the tarboosh of the Arab, the straw hat, four
feet In diameter, OF the Dyak, the head
handkerchief of the Aalsys, Bugis. Javan.
ese, and all the upnumbere1 millions of the
further east. Which of them would be an
Improvement on our fsshioni Truly there Ii
one, and one only, among objects Of this
class devised by man, graceful, digni6ed,
convenient-the astrakhan cap of the Per-
sian. Bot the unprejudiced will admit that
our case is not very deplorable when o sur
vey of the universe shows only one better.
For, like the cavaliers, We are regarding
the chimney pot by itself, accepting the rest
of modern costume as 1t stands. Assuredly
that costume is open to objection, but we
maintain that If the frock coat and loose
trouser be still kept there is no accepted
form of hat-saving the Persian alone
hitherto known In the world thst can be set
in Its place with improvement. All "capsn
properly 30 described are forbidden by the
long coat. Every one can prove this for
himself by trying on "pot" hat when ar
rayed in the formal costume of q "gentle-
man." We may safely assume that every
one has tried 1t. The result is 80 disastrous
that people regard 1t as expressive of type.
When we are told "He's fellow who wears
pot hat and a frock coat" we know sufi-
ciently we'll what sort of fellow that is.
The converse also holds good, though not in
| the same degrees tall hat and short coat
| are offensive to taste. A "pot" is an excel
lent thing, and every one approves IL, with
the jacket; but while the dress of the day
remains what 1t is, two varieties of headgesr
| are needed. Nothing low can be worn with
the long coat. 1t is pity; for the shapes of
\ cap up and down the world are innumerable,
and nearly all pleasing. This fact is proof
| enough to the judicious that the human
| frame is "meant," as they cay, to be sur
| rounded by low, close covering; but 1t is
| not the fashions which should be that we
have under consideration, but the fashions
which are.
| No cap. therefore, can be substituted for
the chimney pct, though there are thou
saud which would be improvements Ito be
worn with a jacket) on the "deer stalker
itself quite as ugly as its rival. All the
| graceful, manly forms devised in ages more
artistic than ours stand out of the question
therefore. They were adapted for short
coats or for robes. That Is where the error
i of our costume lies-in 'half measures, ~ as
usual. This upper garment is too long for
| youth, too short for age; and the headgear
| shat matches it must needs be abnormal
Il
so soon as he was tempted to abandon the
just au corps which, under various names
| and distinctions, had been the habiliment oi
the young time ont of mind, and the robs
devoted to age. The broad hat with feather
survived for while; but as skirts grew
squarer and squarer that sense OF ftn eel
which never quite deserts male humanity
advised that pinning mp of the brim. S.
we got the tricorne, and theu, by simplify
ing process, the cooked hat. But men fel
that this was not important enough to Gus
tain or to match the breadth of cloth below
/ They gave IL a brim and rounded 1t to q en-
/ gar loaf-a combination which did very vel
so long colored clothes survived. Blu
when black became the only wear the sens
of fitness asserted itself again. That lov
sugar loaf, not ungraceful with q green o
purple coat, had too much of the effec
which pot hat has now. And 30 our prea
!, ent fashion came into being.
We contend that the chimney pot 10 q NJ
! cessity SO long as the dress of the day II
mains unchanged, unless, as was admitted
Europeans chose to adopt the Persisn ks
pax. There is no alternative among Il
styles of headgear in use at this day, aor
! times past, and We may feel very conhdel
| that human ingenuity will not devise on
Nor is it true, II the question be regarded
9 1 proper way, that the chimney pot is ug
! | In itself. The lines are straight and roun
ed, the substance pleasingly smooth, q
. tone as agreeable as black can be. Col
pared with those other hats mentioned IL
v distinctly graceful to the eye, and no o
4 surely has ever disputed that IL gives an {
i of responsibility all round-of solven
q when new, of pathos when old-which not
- ing else. absolutely nothing, can impart.