The Daily Missoulian., 1912-07-30
The Economics of Fashion
W.-Millinery and None


As a result Of the reports presented
regarding the falling off Of trade
profits in trimmed hats. the advisory
board of the Eastern Millinery associa-
ticn lately has sent out a letter to
all Of It's members urging them to
tr'n their hats more elaborately. For
the last three years the millinery
trade has been growing less profit
able because OF the simplified hat
trimmings. The profits in this trade
always have come largely from the
trimmed hats. With the present styles
almost any woman can buy a hat,
place some little "stick-up ornament
where she likes II best, and the hat
- trimmed.
Even when the hat is purchased
from the store to be worn as II is.
the profits are small because there is
80 little on II. The women often pay
as much for their hats as before In
fact, the cost of hats to the consumer
Is steadily increasing. hut It Is not
the milliner who profits by II. The
bare hats. themselves, are more ex-
pensive. It IL claimed that the manu-
facturers make more profit than for
merly although this holds good only
with certain classes Of hats. The
prices are charged for exclusive shapes
which cost more TO produce because
they are not manufactured in large
quantities from the same block.
There never have been so many hand
made hats as during the present sea-
son, and while these are high In price
to the woman who has to buy them.
they really do not represent a large
profit to anyone. The braid from
which they are made is expensive. and
the girl who makes them usually Is
paid by the day. and 1t requires
considerable amount Of time to make
one hat.
Every season the clever woman who
wishes to economize fixes over her
last seasons hats to correspond with
the seasons styles. There are many
economic advantages In the variety
OF this years hats. For instance. one
woman was able to make two hats
from one large black one Of last sea-
son. With a bow Of ribbon she trans
formed the crown into a chic poke
bonnet for morning wear. then made
flower garden crown In Its pace.
refined the brim with a soft color
and the result was suitable for any
occasion requiring a more elaborate
chapeau.
There has been great craze for
all sorts of hand made trimming 70
the exclusion of the factory products.
The flowers most in vogue during the
past year frequently have been made
In the shops where the hats were sold
at retail. They are expensive be-
cause they require the time OF skilled
workwomen to make them. Lately
several New York. manufacturers have
undertaken to produce the ribbon
flowers In their factories. and almost
Immediately the price dropped. Now
they can be bought in the 10-cent
stores and my lady exclusive must
promptly select other ornaments for
her hat.
A feature of the millinery trade this
trimmed with a wing cockade or
similar ornament made either OF the
material of the hat itself or of some
contrasting material. These are trim
and neat In appearance but lack the
attractive beauty of the elaborate
flower and feather creations which
they rival. One objection of the flower
trimmed hat of the past has been
that the flowers So soon faded In the
light. This year the manufacturers
have overcome this difficulty. They
have discovered a way to make flowers
fadeless by using a certain chemical
process that makes all colors fast. This
Is very valuable discovery to the
economist In dress. for every year
flowers that have been perfectly good
save for their faded color, have had
to be discarded. This economy to the
buyer, however. will probably prove
the reverse to the manufacturer as
It will greatly lessen the demand for
artificial flowers. There has been a
steady decrease for the last three
years In the number of flowers I'm
ported. The French flower
complain loudly of the falling off of
the American flower trade which
dropped from 30000.000 francs in
1910 to 100000 In 1911 This Is not
entirely due to the simplified trim
ming but also to the improved trad,
developments which make 1t possible
to produce artificial flowers In
America that rival those Of France in
beauty and quality.
Milliners generally agree that the
automobile craze has had an impor-
tant economic bearing upon millinery.
People buy automobiles on such
slender purses that the investment
calls forth rigid economy In other ex-
penditures. Millinery always has
been governed largely by the state of
the family finances. and II Ii there
fore the first luxury to be reduced.
The automobile does not require fine
hats. In fact they are rather a dis
advantage. as cheap hats. scarfs and
wells serve as head covering, and the
average woman takes more pleasure
In an automobile spin than In dis
playing an elaborate hat to her friends.
OF course. for the woman who does
not have to consider economy. there
are numerous elaborate little hats
shown especially designed for auto
MODELLING. and the ugly helmet and cap
affected by the feminine autoist a
couple of years ago Is no longer TO