El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-05
BIZ FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

r. DWARD VII is dead and George
Y. reigns in his stead as the SOW
- ereign of the British empire, but
there is none to take his place as the
supreme arbiter Of fashions for men.
By reason Of this fact affable
young men who make their living by
selling hats are imposing upon the
helpless male animal certain types
and forms of hard stiff hats that re-
semble in their low rakish lines the
pirate craft Of the Spanish Main. Inc
late king Edward was only five 1eeIs
seven inches tall. and he insisted al
ways upon wearing high crown nat.
1t was he who, as prince OF Wales ana
as king, determined the Things proper
for men to wear. He established what
appears to be the permanent vogue
Of the hard boiled, round-top. stiff hat
known to Edward and to the British
world as bowler and 70 americans
as a derby" He sometimes permitted
the hatters to change the shape Of tho
crown or the brim, but he insisted al
ways that the crown should be SIX
inches high and the brim two and flVe
eighth inches wide. As long as ne
lived no one dared to interfere with
the general proportions OF this kingl5
derby.
Lower Crowns Tried.
Two years ago, however. when Ed
to put out derbys with lower crowns
five inches high and four and three
fOurths inches high-and brims two
and two and one-elghth inches Vide
At first these fat-Wheeled derbys were
met with scOrn, for the male animal
changes his wearing apparel with con-
sentative slOWness. but this season a
hat five inches high and with two
inch brim is in decided favor while the
rah-rah boys are wearing them four
inches in the crown and two and three
fourths in the brim- This is what II
means TO have George, who does not
stead Of Edward:
The FuEEy-Wuzzy.
The fuzzy -wuzzy hat, the hat with
whiskers, the velvet hat, the hat
known technically as the scratch-up
hat, are other current manifestations
Of the successful efforts OF the hatters
to introduce strange and Outre Gus
toms into the mems hat business. Ac-
cOrding to the leading trade journal
of the hat industry IN the United States
1t is the purpose of the manufacturers
and retailers Of hats TO endeavor in the
future to make such radical changes
in the new hats offered from season
TO season that IL viii be quite impOs-
sible for a man to pull out his last
falls soft hat and wear it in the spring
months that intervene between the
derby and the straw hat.
In other words a systematic effort
IS being made to change the style OF
mems hats as distinctly. II not as radi-
eally, as the mllliners change the
styles Of women's hats from season to
season and from year to, year. It can
hardly be charged even by the most
enthusiastic "trust-buster" that this
IS a conspiracy In restraint of trade.
Prince Albert Coat Passes.
Another salient change In mems
fashions that also is traced to the |
death Of king Edward. is the passing
OF That erstWhile uniform OF SNUG ,
= speCIaolLlLys the SQuare-Skirted
frock coat, known as the prince Al {
bert At national exhibition Of new 1
models in mems clothes, participated I
In by all the leading taiIors of the i
country not one Prince Albert was =
SHOWN This garment, the most hideous !
and uncomfortable ever devised vas
popuIar1zed and established by Prince j
ALBERT the consOrr Of queen Victoria
his son. as prince OF Wales and as /
King, maintained IL as a sine qua non
ears NO civilian might appear at I
any formal function in daylight with /
put II and its inevitable accountant
nent the top or silk hat
Il was worn, perforce. by statesmen.
and Tor a half century il has bean ths !
despair OF sculptors and painters
Needless to say it is impracticable TO
lroer the FASHION in mems dress in I
MS Work-a-day age OF the world to
,IlC the requirements Of the scuIDtors
III tts eSiliILllIIeo 70 the Roman toga
YIN us uoWlng folds and graceful (
ines. But very few men compar-
LtlNeiys are destined to have themselves
preserved N bronze or marble for the
-dmlratlon OF future generations. And ]
IS someone has said shall a million ]
nen go trouserless that one NAV an
lear more graceful in bronze blan-
Radical Change Favored.
nevertheless, the artists and sculp-