The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-02-21
Hats, Toques and Bonnets.

Eat seems rather early to begin discus
II sion of spring millinery, but already
1G model hats, etc., are beginning to ar
rive. About three weeks ago Nine. Jane
Hading looked unusually fascinating in a
hat made of a fat green gauffered straw,
encircled with a white feather and a white
Paradise aigrette caught at the back with
a spray of mountain ash.
A dear little bride has Just ordered
charming chapeau of an exquisite white
straw, which is draped with veil OF
point d. Angleterre surmounted by some
simply perfect Duchesse de Brabant roses
Fancy Paris hat composed of a single
enormous pink silk double poppy, COM
peted with a Louis XVI bow and a dia-
mond buckle.
Lace maintains its popularity as an Or
namen tation for all sorts of headgear, and
a toque OF black velvet embroidered with
steel is encircled with full folds of creamy
lace, caught up at one side with diamond
circlet and two black ostrich tips.
Toques made entirely of flowers are, as
usual at this season of the year, seen con-
stantly, and they are generally composed
of violets or roses. Gardenias are FREE
quently intermingled. Other toques have
their brims formed of violets, crown of
yellow mimosa, violets and mimosa being
tied together to form an erect spray at one
side. l consider these floral toques clumsy
and usually most IN becoming; however,
when made by an expert out OF the choicest
flowers the results are at times satisfactory,
but like far better an unpretentious hat
of the bright Japanese straw, which has
satin-like surface. This particular hat is
white, covered with an odd but excellent
piece of heavy, very open black lace, which
has an applique of little white lace. The
vivid Jack roses at the left side give
touch OF color and three buds rest next the
wearer's dusky hair. Japanese rush will
continue to be largely used all spring.
Lightness is to be seriously considered,
and split rush and straw are to help carry
out many an idea of the great milIiners
For long time hats have been lined in
various ways, and not many months ago
Russian leather was noted as one of the
novelties, which, however, was not greeted
with favor. Now velvet Is being appliqued
on this leather just on the forehead. This
makes such Innings soft and comforta ble
but not having seen one of these hats /
cannot say whether they will or will not
be success. Privately, l imagine they
must be quite hideous.
The one great novelty in the coming
millinery fashions is the use of vegetable
silk for the fancy plaits, which are at least
an inch wide. This has the most silky
and charming sheen upon it. The more
expensive kinds are made entirely of veg
etable silk, but it is initiated in silk COM
blned with hemp. Here, again, the range
Of colors is very bright, indeed-vivid
pinks, yellows, green's, petunia shades and
many others and ready to be made up into
the fashionable hats and bonnets, while
others show combination OF two colors
and sometimes three, such as pink, yell
low, light green and cream. II is yery
light and is likely to effect quite reyolu-
ton.
This same fabric has been woven into
an open gauze OF very light, thin make
in various colorings, and it is being ruch ed
and gauffered to form ruches for inside
the hats; some of them are shot, and
many of these vegetable silk straws have
the two colors combined in such a way
that they also appear to be glace; while
quite a new notion are narrow straws
freely striped in two colors, with the same
effect OF com bined coloring.
ut is to be bonnet year, and the newest
foundation shapes show the return OF the
curtain. At present it has not come back
to US in its old style shading the nape OF
the neck, but stands erect like turkey's
tail, and is generally formed of segments.
The cartwheel crown is once more to the
fore, and numbe Of fashionable founda-
ton shapes are preparing, made of net,
but worked all over with paillettes in
either black and steel, or brilliant color
ings, such ar iridescent petunia, green or
blue. Breadth characterizes the new bon
nets, either in the front or in the rear,
and many of these sequin shapes assume
the form of butterfly with outstretched
wings"
All shades of green are to be INDUCED