The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-24
Wodish ChapeANx Hem The
PAYisian-Ame7ican AfeHeYs
Odd Shapes Take Preeednce-Size and Height Dominant
PARTNERSHIPS Exaggerated and Bizarre.
BY DOLLY DALRYMPLE.

The autocratic purveyors of fashion
have long since sent out their dicta
as to what shall and shall not be worn
this season, but 1t has left to the sar-
torial eye Of La Dame la Mode to
witness for herself yesterday at the var
ious beautiful Openings" the creations
to which she must succumb. With be-
coming grace the directoire gown and
broad brimmed hat must be donned both
of which are the dernier cri of elegantes.
1t is a considerable jump from plated
skirts to sheath effects and from short,
bouffante sleeves to long, tight ones,
but dear me! A Modish must be ever
alert for the vacillating, tickle DEGREES
of fashion, for who knows but that in
few short months every one of us may
be wearing bombazine and hoop-slkirts!
Such a chaotic state as the world of
femininity experienced yesterday can
scarcely be imagined. In each of the
fashionable emporiums, the millinery
parlors were the centre of attraction, for
"What Every Woman Knows" Barrie)
is that If given the choice of six hats
and two frocks, or two hats and six
frocks nine out of ten would choose
the former.
AS one entered any of the display
rooms, the hum of conversation and the
enthusiastic ordinations over "a perfect
dream of bonnet or "a love of a
hat" sounded like a pink tea and a
suffrage meeting combined. Every wom-
an present must have wondered, as I did,
to that particular place at that partic
ular time, but in spite OF the crowds,
there were any number of agreeable,
obliging saleswomen who were ready
and eager to show one every attention
and attend to ones smallest wants.
''Will madame be seated and try on
some of our patterns?'' was the kindly
inquiry. 1--WE have the Ioveliest models
-Reboux, Georgette, Esther Meyer, Car
lier-anything madame cares for-or we
can show her some beautiful hats from
our own work-rooms'
As this bit of information was given
forthwith and Immediately box after box
divulged it's mysteries, and the newest
conceits from the worlds famous atel-
1ers were exhibited. Great huge, enor-
nous, things-with feathers, wings, os-
preys4 silver foliage and rare lace
but always arge-larger-largest
The millinery shibboleth this season is
period of loud dress, as well as the
fashion in gowns.
1t has been said that fashion and
architecture are twin sisters-or were be-
fore the days of such variety. For were
not the emblazoned gowns and extrava-
gantly tall head dresses of the early mid
die ages but the echo of the ornate
Gothic architecture with Its tapering tur-
rets? And were not the Greek simplicity
and the Roman severity of dress but the
natural outcome of their architectural
outlines?
So with US of today-with skyscrapers
and immense proportions in buildings, we
have 1t reflected in the stylish head
gear of our women. But 'thats another
story" as Kipiing would say-so let us
get back to the hats at which we were
looking.
When 1 saw these enormous chapeaux,
one after the other, 1 involuntarily ex-
claimed:
Now, 1 am convinced Of something
1 heard few days agor'
what was that?'' asked one of the
women in the little coterie which had
assembled around one of the largest
mirrors in the place.
well it was awfully funny-but I was
told that some hats arrived for one of
the big shops here, and that the boxes
were so enormous that only six could
be put in the delivery wagon, so the
enterprising merchant promptly sent for
one of the big transfer wagons and
had them conveyed to his store"
The little crowd was quite appreciative
of this, and a charming woman, who
has but returned from one OF the large
western cities, verified the idea by re-
lating that when she got ready to come
home she discovered that her new hat
was SO huge that she couldn't get it in
her hat-trunk so she decided to bring It
along with her. When she entered the
Pullman car it was impossible to get
the box through the door of the draw
ing room-and so there was a pretty
'how-dy-do.'
'Will madam remove her hat and let
me see which of these patterns is most
becoming?" was the next query.
''Oh! dear, no! Do let some one else try
them on 1 answered, and being per-
fectly good Bromide" announced that
L had just had my hair shampooed and
couldn't do a thing with It," And be-
sides 1 felt that 1 could never bring my