The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-29

/! WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
l At this saasor woman's natural impulse
| Is not only to vie with. but to eclipse in
radiance. every other beauty in nature, and
| to this end she spends many serious mo-
| ments planning out her seasons raiment.
| During Lent a woman's fancy seriously
! turns to thoughts of hats.
| The hat question verify Is the turning
| straw on which, apparently, stages Of great
l significance In her life often depend.
Yet. strange as 1t may appear, considering
| the enormous expenditure of thought and
| time wasted in the millinery hunt. not one
woman in a thousand knows what Is becom-
| ing to her style of face. and although many
readable articles are written about the
| styles and shapes of hats to be worn with
different contours. profiles and faces. they
are all of small effect.
| Every face is an exception to all the rules
laid down by the authorities. who tell US
what the oval face needs to show to advan-
tage. what the round face requires to elon-
gate 1t. and what will soften and tone down
the pointed, angular face, and what Subdue
and shadow the fat face.
Hats should be suited to a temperament.
an individuality. taste or fancy. charac-
teristic or a quality. Some women inform
their raiment with grace Intelligence and
temperament.
The majority are merely contented with
putting them on str light or ''just So; and,
too. 1t Is only one woman In many who.
having chosen a becoming hat knows how to
wear it to effective advantage.
A woman may carry on her head several
of the most graceful plumes. yet spoil their
waving. curved beauty and grace by the
way she carries her head.
To know what is becoming. and then to
possess that feeling which leads to indi-
vidualizing an article of apparel Is not
only a rare knack, but those who possess
1t may possess a special sense-first cousin
to a talent.
This feeling We NAV find as often with
the working class as with those possess
ing the greatest means and leisure to de-
vote to personal adornment
Ladies' of the stage even the lesser ones,
seem to possess this aesthetic feeling IN
good proportion. Then there are rare,
charming women in svery walk Of life who
adorn the simplest doings of The hour.
Hats play an important part in female
destiny. They make the first and most
direct appeal to the eyes, arresting the at
tention Of the passerby.
Like the pretty face, the hat may not |
hold the admiration 1t quickly inspires. for /
when the eyes travel further untidy gloves |
or boots or ungracefully hanging skirts will |
Put an end to the first pleasant impress |
sion; but, having arrested the attention It |
may be considered the opportunity siver. |
and opportunities make the good or bad |
fate that accompanies one through this |
yale of smiles and tears"
A woman's success in life depends more |
on a becoming hat than on the tiniest. |
shapeliest boots. the poets and writer men |
and artists to the contrary notwithstand |
ing. They are the first, despite their chat |
ter about beauty unadorned." to follow up l
a sweet expression and bright eyes framed |
in a picture hat. and for every Trilby foot |,
a hundred Gainsboroush hats, or even a |
quaint, picturesque sunbonnet with the be-
witching bow under the chin. are the sub
iects of the canvases that inspire the In |!
habitants of the studios.
Indeed. some Of the most beautiful un- |
spoiled feet have carried their possessors |