The morning times., 1896-11-15
The Martha Was hington Bonnet
The josephine Greenleaf of
I8IO-Then the Silk Tur-
ban Queen Vic's
Masterpiece.

act was over, threw wide the royal
hangings and stepped to the front of the
box, amid the wild applause OF the audience.
Her hat was a wide white Legnorn,
trimmed with White ribbons and blue
flowers. Broad blue strearners hung to
her waist. She kept her hat ON during
the performance, and it was SO much ad-
mir ed that all the next day the milIiners
in London We're beseiged for Queen
Vic hat The following night not a
glimpse could any theatergoer get OF tho
stage for the size OF the hat ill front of
him. But the face underneath the hat
looked very piquant.
The only year that has no decided style
belonging to it is 1850. 1t was year
Of go-as-you-please styles. Many ladies
went to the tneater in small gold crowns,
with the points connected by chains. Mrs
BurktlRoche, than q lovely young woman,
always Wore one Others wore jet head
pieces. They set them well back and
drove to the tbeater in carriages. Very
decOllette gowns We're worn, and those who
think all the elegance of the century is
being crowded into the last decade should
consult those 1850 days, when society was
at its daintiest.
1t was nearly all confined to Southern
elegance and the Washington SET but e
was true blue, very rich, quiet and very
eXtrayagant. Diamond crowns were not
little headpieces were of heavy gold set
with pearls, or with countless tiny jewels.
The Empress Eugene Is blamed for in
Producing silk in great abundance inrI
the wardrobes Of all women. Previous to
the wild days OF Eugenie's prodigality
yard OF silk was priced heirloom. 1t wal
worn around the neck, twisted around Tho
head, draped upon the bodice or ''tacked"
on as an overskirt, but never cut.
Eugene began by dressing in silk every
day in the week. Sh. made long wraps Oi
it, had her underclcthes cut out OF it, ane
was the first woman who ever had sill
dress lined with silk.
The headgear that she loved best and
made popular was one that Will lie rec
oguzed in the old photograph albums. Ii
was OF silk pinked AT the edge and tied upOr
the head with broad ribbons. Its texture
was varied. Some made the headgear o.
lace, others chose thin stuff that core
spends to chiffon, but pale blue silk and
changeable brown Were the favoriteS-
Mrs. John Drew and Mrs. Gilbert of Daly'i
could describe many such hat in thciI
audiences Of nearly forty years ago. Mrs
John. HOey used TO wear one herself to the
theater on the nights she was not pla ying,
aud what Mrs Hoey W ore was copied, d : i
Bernhardt or Terry gown would be copied
now.
The year 1870 showed a queer little
\
covered with silk Its plan was to offset
| the chisnon then 50 stylish. II was tipped
forward and stood well up from the head
This trying shape was in the trousseau OF
every bride OF 1870; and for some reason
or other was chosen by her for the wedding
tour. Green was a fashionable covering for
the little shape, with small ornament
of Jet in the front Mrs Grant wore this
kind OF a hat incessantly, and it was seen
over and over again at the Cabinet re-
ceptions, the dish shape,
The year 1850 had a hat for the thCater
made Popular by the most beautiful woman
who ever held her own through q generation
upon the theater boards-Miss Lillian Rus.
sell In that year Lillian was drawing.
Everybody knew about her and her picturd
was in every window. She was in the
| first scared surprise OF her beauty, and
| hats We're worn by her one night upon
the stage, to be copied next night by every
| woman in the theater.
Hats are now named after her plays
the Princess Nicotine, the Queen tf Bril-
hants. and the Erninie hat. Bot 1T was
the ostrich plume hat that took the town
ful of women. Very becoming IL was. too:
and you will see it repeated every season
with modification. But in ell rs height
| and all its towering glory, it appeared at
the performances of that and the couple
OF succeeding years. 1t was this awful
tower hat that caused the present theater-
hat agitation
The hats of 1896 are smaller, because
there is so much talk about the abominahle
| theater hat" With one State punishina
women who wear large headgear, and all
| audiences guying the wearer OF anything
larger than birds wing, it is not to be
| wondered at that the hat has grown little.
/ This wing hat was introduced by Mrs.
Cleveland. and to that lady theatergUers
| must return thanks that it is Kept in style.
\ IL is almost the only node of hat ever Worn
| by the wife of the executive.
HARRY GERMAINE-