Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-09
THE HAT In MEXICO.
IsiIk Ones Are Now Worn by OMcialI
and DiEnitarIes Instead of
SombrerOs.

Among all well-bred people great at
Eention Is paid to the hat of the masculine
visitor. That emblem of grandeeship
as Richard Ford called it, is taken a
once and carefully placed on chair quite
las IL it were person, says Modern Mex
leo. It must be treated with respect. A
table is also proper place for it, but &
chair better.
Especially is the top hat distinguished
IN etiquette: it implies that the weare1
ts real senior, a true caballero, and it |!
Hhonored with careful treatment. See
fhat it Is allowed to repose on a chair
lsafe from casual knocks or jars. In com.
mon parlance. the top hat is una CHS
terra" facetious word, and, speaking
seriously, it is "un so:nbrero de copa," OF
I''de copa alta" It Is an emblem of social
rank, and lawyers often wear it from
morning till night.
The sombrero de paja, or straw hat
lmay be Of many degrees Of fineness
Sometimes 1t has gold or silver cord
and is worn by we'll to do rancheros OF
great haciendados on proper occasions
Women on horseback in the country, and
formerly in the city, wore handsome
sombreros. The sombrero of felt, with
its ornaments, may cost anywhere from
$40 to 81 900. 1t is the gala hat for horse
back on days of fiestas, and in the ooun.
try regions is affected by the prosperous
Remember that the hat in any form, il
something to respect. 1t is taken off as 8
sign of regard and Difference, or of mere
courtesy.
The sombrero calanes Is the Andalus-
Han hat Of low crown and broad brim. the
hat Of the bul1fighter on the street, where
he receives the homage of the admirine
populace, especially of the small boy
1t has its epochs of coming into quite gen.
eral use, and is far more picturesque
than the staidand prim derby. The latter
hat is much affected by the city youth
of Mexico, but j o 5 foreign, alien and an
exotic. 1t is riSiculous when worn on
horseback under the ardent sun of Mex.
ico or Andalusia.
IN old times, Mexicans, as we'll as
lSpaniards of social rank wore the cooked
hat, immortalized in Alarcon's story OIL
the 'fSombrero de Tres Picos. - The three
lcornered hat, properly speaking, affected
by people in times agone was called the
e'sombrero de tres candles"
Boys Of the lower classes wear chear
straw sombreros to school, and the mar
vel Is that they ever distinguish them
for they are as much alike as peas in a
pod.
But to return to our muttons, so tc
say: the hat as symbol of grandeeship
1T is nowadays the tall hat, the topper. >
the silk hat, stovepipe, or what you will
t'Gobernadores" wear it, senators ano
deputies and lawyers, of course, though
in Mexican cities the younger lawyers
affect jaunty straw hats in warm wealth.
er, and often derbys.
The grandees of the first class of Spain
have the privilege of remaining covered
in the presence of their sovereign, and
the other day the young King Alfonso
receiving a party of noblemen of high
degree; who approached him uncovered
said, after moment: Cover yourselves
senores," which is the ancient etiquette.
Thus the hat plays in Spanish tradition
and actual life ceremonial part differ,
ing from usage in Anglo-Saxon coun-
tries, -