The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-09
THE WOMAN OF FASHION.

New York, Feb. s.--The people who have
not vet learned that woman cannot be
driven might get some useful hints from
the results of certain attempts of various
state legislatures to exterminate large
theater hats. All the time that the agita-
ton was going on about the matter. hats
kept getting larger and larger. and their
fair possessors refused 20 remove them
for anybody's comfort and convenience
Now, however, since the legislators have
given up the fight and have left the mat
ter in orr own hands, presto! there is
nothing to fight about, and the individual
stage curtain is no more. The picture hat
is not correct even in the boxes where it
does not obstruct. IT is reserved for after
noon teas and other daytime events.
Evening bonnets are not such impossi-
BILE luxuries as many people think. To be
sure, if a woman depends entirely upon
her milliner for the bit of inery which
has been the cause of so many domestic
upheavals, she might as we'll rule it out of
her bandbox. and go bareheaded to the
opera, unless she is prepared to brave a
bill of several guineas But if one have a
little natural taste and dizziness, coupled
with a faculty of close observation, the
milliner's bill need no longer be a source
Of domestic infelicity. The prottiest bon
nets are nearly always the simplest, and
when one really settles down to analyZe
the impairment little tOpknOtS there ISM
much of anything to them but fluff and
loop or two OF velvet. Whether the bon
net is becoming or not depends upon the
angle at which the loops are set.
The easiest bonnet to make is the one
with a straight band around the crown
of the head. It is the shape of a circle
comb set on top of the head. 1t is wound
with satin or ribbon and has two loops
of velvet in front with an aigrette stand
ing up between them. Anybody can have
a bonnet like this, and therefore il has
become so common that it is undesirable
However, it is better than a broad-brim-
med hat.
Another simply constructed bonnet that
will do very well for an unpretentious
mortal IS made of four simulated loops
of velvet. They look like a pair of NINA
ture, doublc-bladed canoe paddles, cross
cd at an angle Of 80 degrees, with a jet
or jeweled buckle at the point of june
ture This may be set as far back on the
head as is becoming and fastened in place
by a couple of hair pins. The velvet loops
or paddles are sometimes diamond or leaf
shaped, and are decorated with Jet or
jewels according to ones patience and
SO much for the bonnet that is entire
ly home made. Not many women would
be satisfied with such simple headgear.
The best way to begin is to buy q. jet or
jeweled frame. This will not cost more
than $50 or 81. An aigrette can be bought
for $l.75 and velvet enough for a few
loops and ends viii not cost more than Is
cents, making a total cost of not more
than $3.50 for q really handsome bonnet
The velvet loops should be wired and set
parallel to the face at about the middle
of the crown of the head. The ends or
velvet can be stifened and made to point
down each side of the knot of hair. There
is always something to define the couture,
whether the bonnet be a bit or jet or a
tam o shanter hat.
A flower at each side, or a tiny ostrich
n funnel q
back of every bonnet. An aigrette of
some kind is amost necessity. In fact
if the fashionable world continues as ii
has begun the plumage bird kingdom will
shortly be eXterminated. For aigrettes
are used to trim all kinds of hats, are
indispensable to evening bonnets, and are
also used alone for hair ornaments
1t is a queer compensation of nature
that the feminine portion of one race
should claim as their rightful adornment
the hide or plumage of the male portion
of all the lower races. Has a beautiful
bird a crest or harmless beast a bushy
tail, he must die, for her royal highness
Speaking of plumage, those tiny tips
in clumps of three are used. both plain
and spangled, for hair ornaments or bon
a as7 '''i''i'''''S9' iie' q" &c bought i0F
The favorite bonnet for evening wear
has a velvet crOwn-usually tam O. shan
ter. An ingenius young girl of my ac-
Guaintance made herself bonnet to wear
Nth green silk waist, and this is the
WGN she ala IL
She first made a tam o. shanter crown
about six inches across the top, out of
stiff black crinOline This she covered
with black velvet which she had previ-
ously ornamented with jet "nail-heads. -
She gathered on a white lace brim which
she wired around the edge to make it
stay put" She stopped the brim in the
middle Of both front and back and in its
place set couple of green wings, ner-
curry fashion, to stand out perfectly
straight or each side of the face, and
some green flowers each side Of the colt
fure at the back. This bonnet set back
two or three inches from the forehead as
all bonnets do nowadays.
The new bonnets all have brin1s but
the crown is so small that the whole
hat, brim and all, hardly projects over
the side of the head. A charming bon
net, or hat, it was hard to say which
was conspicuous in the Frenchy audience