Evening star., 1903-07-02
THE SUNBoNNET.
An Adjunct to the Woman Who Goes
to the Country.

From the New York Times.
One adjunct to her wardrobe that every
other woman gets nowadays before she
goes into the country is a sunbonnet. These
convenient head coverings, which may be
pretty or otherwise. have become a staple
in womens S wearing apparel and to be
found where other parts of her wardrobe
are sold, ready made, in all the shops. They
may be had as low as 10 cents and they
may cost 81 or more; they are always use
full and may be becoming. One pretty girl
with Maud Muller style of face wore a
sunbonnet in her trip across the ocean. 1t
was undoubtedly agreeable, protecting her
eyes from the glaring light and her com
pleXfon from the wind and incidentally she
was as pretty picture in IL. However,
sunbonnets will not be generally adopted
for ocean travel. but they have risen above
the fad stage which they occupied few
years ago.
The sunbonnet dates back no one knows
how many years. and it is possible that
they were worn by the first ancestress of
the race when she began to enlarge her
wardrobe. 1t was never thought necessary
to put the evolution of the sunbonnet on
record, 1t has not figured in fashion plates.
and it's history can never be exact. How
ever, when the grandmotherST and great
grandmotherS of the present generation
were doing more household work than their
descendants have found necessary, the sun
bonnet was in common use. 1t was made
usually of checked ginghams. blue or pink
or brown or green and white. and was
made broad in front to shade the eyes, and
with an ample cape to cover the neck ana
shoulders. 1t was useful to wear in hang
ing out the weekly wash or in feeding the
chickens. 1t was not made to enhance tho
charms of its wearers, but to protect them
Ugliness and the old time sunbonnet were
synonymous terms. 1t was made without
pretense to beauty and might or might not
have tiny frill around the face Some
times 1t was starched stiff, but II was quite
as often left unstarched and dropped shah
billy around the face. One style of sunbon-
net was made with pasteboard Stats I'm the
front to hold 1t out. and there was the fun.
ny scooplike Shaker bonnet Of fiat plated
straw with little curtain of cloth hanging
down at the back This was a style origi-
mated by the Shakers and worn by them.
A few years ago with the Introduction of
golf there was a rise in the sunbonnet mar
ket. 1t was suddenly discovered that, made
in pretty. becoming colors, and If not Of ex-
aggerated size, the bonnets might be be-
coming, and many were ordered. Perhaps
with the golf players they were least worn,
but the name carried them into popularity.
Pretty, new shapes were developed, and
the sunbonnet came to stay. The fad 1s
over. but the sunbonnet remains
In the shops they are made in varieties OF
plain striped materials, starcEed stif.
and with a high polish, with one or two
ruffies around the edge, or possibly without
them. They sold in this form at reas-
enable prices. They are shorter in the
front than the old-time bonnet, and the
cape in the back is tiny affair, useful TO
protect the back of the neck. but not largo
enough to keep out the breezes. One may
both hear and see in the modern bonnet.
which is not possible with the old.
Colors vary. There are soft pinks. pale
blues solid reds dark blues, and very
pretty girl wears a black sunbonnet with
her bright-cdfored frocks and looks IKE
dream in it, The colors are almost equally
becoming when they are suited to the wo-
man who wears them. The old-time sun
bonnet or one very much like 1t, made OF
brown and white checked gingham and un-
starched can be found for % cents. but II
Is not popular.
More expensive but not always more be-
coming, are those bonnets made OF lawn
in white and all the delicate shades. trim-
med with ruffies and lace. These are much
cooler than the other bonnets and are more
expensive costing 81 or more. The woman
who is particular makes or has her sun
bonnets made to suit herself. pretty girl
NAV have a sunbonnet of different colors
to go with her different gowns, but as
rule she has only one. If she is particular
about having things match. she will have
white sunbonnet. which will go with every
thing