The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-07
HAT SALE IN DRAWING ROOM
MILLINERY MADE TO YIELD &
PROFIT 70 CHARITY.
Hats Trimmed 10y Fashionable Women
Sell Like Rot cakes az airs Richard
Twins and Customers Can Tor More
Low Prices Tor Fetching Bonnets.

Low Prices Tor Fetching Bonnets.
A ribbon, a flower and a touch, Is the
description Of a fashionable bonnet given
by an accomplished French milliner. IL
IL easy enough 10 get the ribbon and the
flower, she says but the touch! an that
Is quite another story.
For the touch. II seems. cannot be taught
or acquired. IL is enthroned in the finger
tips from birth or il Is not-oitener not.
Women in consequence fall on their knees
10 the owner OF toe touch and often give
their last dollar OF spending money 20 ac-
uuire $40 or $50 example OF its magic po-
tenoy, passing indiferently a $40 bonnet
equally brave in flowers and ribbons but
That this touch. which sooner or later
means a small fortune to the possessor
M she wants 20 put II TO commercial uses,
10 not confined 10 wage earners and that me
professional mi!lineTs nave no patented
rights TO II. was illustrated last Monday
and Tuesday in private drawing roo n
Just of Fifth avenue IN Ihirty-ninth street;
where a sale Of hats trimmed by several
fashionable women caused the street to be
blocked with carriages at certain hours
Of the afternoon. Society ever, on the
alert for the touch, came, saw ana carried
of bonnet boxes delightedly.
II was at Mrs. Richard Irwin 5 house that
the hats were trimmed and the SALE was
held. On Monday morning the drawing
room floor. looking like a flower garaen,
cont aimed $50 examples Of the latest things
in hats, and by Tuesday afternoon all but
twelve had been sold and orders taken Tor
Prices ranged from SO 10 slS-no hi CHER
and the touch was conspicuous feature
In every hat. In fact il was the most
conspicuous feature.
Complicated examples Of stirring, pleat-
ing. gathering piping and other mysteries
known 10 the professional mllnner WI
cd into all the
distortions which sigualize the 1895 fashion
able hat, and then adorned with fetching
bows, perky clusters OF buds and long
sprays Of flowers and the most rakish
and taking OF wings and quilts set on az an
angle Illustrative Of the genius lurking
in the finger tips Of the trimmers.
The proud trimmers themselves assisted
by some of the debutantes Of society. fitted
here and there. acting az salesWomen;
With an astuteness not 70 be expected OF
amateurs, they refraine from suggesting
alterations in order 70 sell hat.
Nevertheless, when buyer made the
remark j like this shape. but wish the
flower was pink instead Of blue, or ms
ribbon would suit me better il II were
darker shade or i wish these wings stood
up a bit higher the answer invariably
was: SLet me see II 1t can be changed Tor
you ,,
the amateur who had dons the work would
declare; and the buyer would pun out her
purse. pay cash and promise 20 call agaia
FOR her hat in an hour OF 90.
Many Of the buyers, personal frlendS OF
the hostess, penetrated TO the bedroom
floors in their search for an unoocuPied
mirror, and Others after critical look at
g hat carried 1t OF without any preliminary
uy-on.
than any one. Any knowledge she lacked
Of the professional method OF hat selling
was mo!e than made up by Der enthusiasm.
@Isn't that dreamg- she would say
holding aloft dainty affair Of white ostrich
tips and pink roses 'Mrs. Duryea trimmed
that. And could anything be sweeter than
that for SiS?' aprOpos Of a fat pink and
white affair garanded with roses. Yes,
Miss Rosamond Street was the miliner
Hasn't that wonderful lot Of style7'
trying on as she spoke polo turban deco
rated at the side with half a dozen blue
tinted wings, which, indeed, showed to
perfection the touch.
hen wo Id CO ne a chorus OF praise
from customers and a hurried reaching
after. ieweled purses and gold-mesheG
chatelaine bags. So unmistakable indeed
was the artistic touch in every example
Of the display that one visitor after a tour
Of inspection which worked her lorgnon at
top speed exclaimed blunuy TO Ms. Irwin:
Come, now, why don't you own up that
you hired a professional to do most OF the
trimming OF that the ladys maids Of the
reputed miliners helped them out2'
For answer Mrs. Irwin laughed; then,
raising her voice, sh called out TO pretty
young woman with hat perched on either
hand: go you hear that Mrs. Duryea?" re-
peating the remark as the other stopped TO
listen.
Ms. Duryea laughed. too and hurried !
away. Later, Mrs, Irwin explained
There is not a single hat here. said she, !
which owes anything 10 a milliner OF a /.
lady's maid unless indeed it is the Innings,
which were bought ready made and sewed |
In by my maid. Nor did We ask donations |
from milliners or from any shop, rs some /
persons believe
sThe whole scheme from beginning TO |
end was conducted on a strictly business |
basis, just as though we we're opening a |
millinery shop on our own account. One |
day when few OF us were talking over |
plans for helping two OF three very needy |
charities we hit upon sale OF millinery |
as being about the only seasonable scheme, /
and We knew that 70 make it interesting |
and profitable the hats must be trimmed |
by society women.
'sOf course it is not always the easiest |
thing In the world to find amateurs who |
can turn out a stylish hat, nevertheless |
l. happened to know several young people, |
married and unmarried who are gifted |
in III at way and who. when put the matter |
before them, kindly consented to help |
me out ~ H.,
Duryta and went down into the wholesale
one Nhl anu ubuBnl loV ullll
hats as a starter. Then we selected a lot
Of flowers. feathers, wings, ribbons, tulle
and the other materials used in trimming |
spring and summer hats.
The salesmen help us TO chooser Not
~ all. / fact think we rather astonished
thu m by the way we went ahead without
asking advice.
The only thing we did ask was 10 they
would take back the materials we did not
need after the sale was over a request thev
Immediately granted. But we calculated
70 well there is really very little TO 90 back,
although when the boxes arrived hire I felt
as " enough thSr W 10 stock a store.
1T took us only about ten days TO get
our stock Of hats ready for the sale. Be
sides Mrs. Duryea and Miss Street, there
were Mrs. Ernest Iselin, Miss Lilly
Hamilton, Mrs. Henry Alexander, Mrs.
Louis Lee Stanton and Mrs. Henry G.
Beadles.on, who came and gave a couple
Of hours a day to the work.
Each made her own selections from the
pile Of hats and then called for whatever
trimmings she wanted. Incidentally, we
learned Before we we're through what big
profit there Is IN millinery.
Ito be sure we had no high priced trim
mers to pay, nor any store rent nor dull
seasons to consider. which was one reason
49, IL los h. krN- /