The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-10-28
HAT MAKES TIE MAN.
IN THIS COUNTRY ONE MAY WEAR
ANYTHING COMFORTABLE.

eut In London Ono Must Havc n Ugh AT
or Is. tirct to Unpleasant Comments.
Small s.. , of o Swell IIntter-Stocl In
tho Ensc,aont.
A mans lat is simple thing In Clica-
90 or any Other American city. "Any old
hat" W i'll do, md 10 one worries himself
much about tie material or quality OF his
hats. But the ChicaFoan who at home is
one pf orc hundred thousand or 30 wearing
the conventional soft hat finds when he
goes upon the street In London that he is
II marked man. His hat prorlnins his ma
tlonni!ty rs certainly rs tho sou'wc-tcr
identifies n sailor on the coast One secs
nbout him an array of silk hats top
rcrs, in tho slang of Piccadilly-thnt is
simply astounding.
No matter how hot or how rainy the day
the TOPPER easily outnumEcrs every other
form OF hcRdgear-tho silk badge of scrvi-
tude to the absurd demands OF fashion
One Will SEQ among the lower clusscs few
of the conventional round stiff hints known
on this site OF tho Atlantic MS n derby,
and will MISC SEQ a few gentlemen from
across the channel promcnntlinE with nj
pine straw hats protecting their heads from
the hot sun, but tho overwhelming ma
jority OF silk hats will arouse suspicion
in the mind Of the man with the soft Init
that he is out Of line The suspicion will
become certainty when hc ovcrhcars an
irreverent street nrab observe to compan-
ion:
All, AIRY wotevcr TO you suppose
Buffalo Bill is a-doin 'ereP 'Adn't card
nothink Of 'is comm up TO special tryno
I'm In,
with the mt
Then tho impudent rascal rushcs after
the stranger and tries to sell paper.
Ere y nre, cap;ing OH the lytest
news from ome. 'Orrlblo murder In New
York IN terrible rylrroad haxident in Ho-
eye-oi Piper cOlonelf Do buy n piper,
general Only penny"
A visit to the hattcrs Is almost inevita-
blenfter an experience of this sort, and not
to mike any mistake he chooses ono of the
Piccadilly shops, whose product Is known
nil over tho Unitc;l States. Possessing q
vivid mental picture of tho extensive prem
iscs of tho leading matters at home, he Is
startled when no squoczcs himself into the
London shop. Tho swellcst trudesnan In
London, at tho corner Of Bond street and
Piccndilly, who is halter to tho queen and
the royal family of England and most of
tho nobility Of continental Europe, has
floor space about 10 by 90 feet in area.
There Is no long perspective of black wal
nut, glass fronted cabinets, no stretches of
cloth covered counters, no arrangement of
carved tables about tho place. Tho Office
fixtures of the average American hat store
OF any pretension would puck tho English
establishment solid from wall to wall md
floor to ceiling.
In this establishment there arc four "as.
sistants"-not clerks, mind YOU "Cnrks"
are tho young men who do clerical work
about commercial establishments and are
niIch above shop assistants socially. No
sell respecting clark" would jcopartlizo
his standing in his own liitio cir, 10 by us.
6ociattng on equal terms with II low down,
mere shop assistant.
IS tho wc:ircr Of the dcspiscd soft Int
approaches tho low Counter ,nat separates
the assistants from o customer he Won
ders where tho stock is kept Tho nearest
assistant braces his hn:ids On the counter,
with his thumbs THROWN forward, and flxcs
his coldly critical eye upon tho offending
hat Without meeting the strangers
glance, he inquiries:
T. AT, STRIP
II want to SEQ something in n stiff hat. -
"Ycssir. Round mt, sir?'
why, just an ordinary derby, you
know-a plain stiff hat
Yessir. For yourself, sirf"
why, Of course
"Yessir. If you're goin to ave at for
everydye use, SIR, better 'avo n Ugh 'at,
Sir. It's quito the proper thing, sir. AL.
low me, SIR
He lifts off tho strangers hat, slides a
metal tape measure into it, and then put
ting his head under tho counter bawls:
Twenty one sixty -four, quarter, five
eighths. II lie is asked, he explains that
that is the stock number, tho eizo and the
width Of brim ho wishes to submit for in
spection Thcro Is rattling, sliding
sound ending in bump under the coun-
ter, and tho mystery Of the stock IS ex.
planned. 1t is kept in the basement and
comes up in dumb waiter
The article he produces Is covered with
tissue paper, which ho doftly slides off,
presenting the hat with flourish and tho
remark, Try this one, sir'
This seems oil right rs to at. but I
don't quito like 60 much bell to .he
crown"
mo, sir. Awf IN mute, SIR His head
goes under the counter again. "Twenty-
three eleven, quarter flve-eighths." And
then after moment different shape is
submitted 'Ow's that, sirf''
II still think there's too much bell
"Lytest block, sir"
know, but 1t doesn't quite suit ma.
Id like little straighter crown"
sorry wo 'aven't such mt in stock,
Sir. Wen be glad to mike you one, cir.
How long will A. tnlayt