Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-25
A DISCOURSE ON HATS
IGNORANCE Is ENLIGHTENED
WHILE AWAITING DECISION.

please show me a plateau" said tho
lady to the salesperson in the hat depart
ment Of one Of washington's fashionable
stores.
"a plateaur' echoed the gentleman with
the lady in wonderment. IF you want to
buy a plateau you should have gone to a
real estate dealers office or boarded a train
for Colorado. where they abound. thought
you said you wanted me to come into this
torture chamber for me to pass upon a
hat. not upon a piece Of ground"
"A plateau" rejoined the lady with pity
ing dignity at the mans ignorance. "a
plateau is a hat. lady's hat"
The man sank weakly into a convenient
chair. then and there gave up the problem
Of everyday vernacular as applied to fem
mime styles and became a silent spectator
and listener.
"A plateau" resumed the lady with a
concilatory smile, for 1t appeared that she
wanted the mans opinion as to plateau
becoming her particular cast of beauty.
after all. 'is large, round fiat piece Of
felt, in any shade desired 1t can be made
into any style of hat, large or small, and
they are usually becoming to US because
of their soft dropping effect
This is plateau" taking from the
attendants hand a circular piece of black
felt. 1T can be shaped with the fingers
may determine. Some OF them are twisted.
as you men would say. like little umbrellas
over bandeau. and the higher the bandeau
the better-no, not a banjo, but a bandeau,
which Is a rim which forms a foundation
for the crown.
This year the bandeaus are filled In with
an abundance OF tulle in the back, which
gives a very graceful and soft effect-much
more effective than flowers or velvet. These
umbrella plateaus are very becoming to
ladies who affect the high. full. all-around
v,,iS A..A StCfA fa
as to style effects wear the umbrella pla-
teau with the high bandeau. but without
the full all-around pompadour. and then
these hats look like mushrooms that have
been too long picked and wilted In the sun.
"One advantage Of the plateau is that
1t may be trimmed in any style desired
ribbons. feathers, flowers. velvet. silk or
any other kind OF trimming. All ladies'
hats are not subject to such accommodate
ing diversified methods of trimming. and
this is one reason. though probably not ap-
parent to your masculine mind, why the
plateau is popular.
Perhaps" explained the lady. you men
may have noticed when not thinking about
the stock market or horse racing that the
little hat is making this season. a desperate
effort to attain popularity and to make
the picture hat an also ran.' but the little
hat will never take the place OF the big
picture hat.
LAS a street hat the English walking hat
Is entirely newt hasn't been seen on the
streets for years, SO 1T will have it's vogue.
with the plumes. The styles periodically
depart from this big hat in its various
shapes but they eventually return to it In
one modification or another, just as In
GainesborOugh's period a century ago.
"A small. peaked-face woman looks like
a fright in the little hat, while fat.
pudgy-faced sisters look even worse. The
little woman in the little hat looks more
shrmpy than ever, while the fat, dumping
checked lady makes you feel kindly pity
for her lest she Unexpectedly burst and
send the little pillbox flying.
1T is the young miss with the childish
face who appears bewitching In the little
hat, and because she does appear so her
elders just crazy to wear it, too, and
appear likewise-an impossibilty. There Is
such variety of shapes this winter that
upon the whole the hats may be said to be
becoming and graceful-there is less angu-
larity and an absence of stiffness than In
former seasons"
How about the prices?' asked the man
thoughtfully. -.-.-g
"Oh. just the same-cheap from our
standpoint and dear from yours
THAT Is thing about ladies' hats
that never changes" remarked the gentle
man as he lightened his bank roll to the
extent of a yellow bill. But 1t is worth
the price to finally learn the differentiation
as to bandeaus and banjos." he added.