El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-30

FEW YORK, y. Y, July 30--As
M result of the reports presented
= y regarding the falling off OF
trade profits in trimmed hats, the ad-
visory board of the Eastern Millinery
association lately has sent out letter
TO all Of its members urging them 10
trim their mats more deliberately For
the last three years the millinery
trade has been growing less profitable
because of the slmph1led nat TRIM
mings- The profits in this trade al
ways have come largely from the
trimmed hats. With the present styles
almost any woman can buy hat, place
some little ''stickup' ornament where
she likes IL BEST and the nat Is
Even when the hat is purchased from
the store to be worn as it is, the prof
its are small because there IS HttIe on
IL. The women often pay as much Tor
their hats as before. In fact, the cost
OF hats 10 the consumer is steadily in
creasing, but it is not the milliner who
profits by 1t. The bare hats, themselves,
are more expensive. 1t is claimed that
the manufacturers make more profit
than formerly. although this holds
good only with certain classes Of hats.
The prices are charged for exclusive
shapes which cost more to produce be-
cause 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 VINO 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
siderable amount Of time to make one
hat
Advantages in This Years Hats.
Every. season the clever woman who
wishes to economic fixes over ner
last seasons hats to correspond with
the seasons styles. There are many
economic advantages in the variety OF
tEiS 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 chic poke bon
net, refined the brim with a soft color
and the result was suitable for any &C.
casion requiring more elaborate cha
peau.
There has been a great craze for all
sorts Of handmade trimming TO the ex-
clusion 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 re-
tail They are expensive because they
require the time OF skilled WOrkWOmen
70 make them. Lately several New
Ork manufacturers have undertaken
10 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 eX-
elusive must promptly select other or
naments for her hat.
4 feature of the millinery trade this
year is known as the tailored hat,
trimmed with a wing cockade or SIM
liar ornament made either of the ma
t6rial of the hat itself or Of some con-
trasting material These are trim and
neat in appearance but lack the at
tractive beauty of the elaborate flow
er and feather creations which they
rival One objection of the flower
timmed hat OF the past has been tat
the flowers so soon faded in the light.
This year the manufacturers have ov-
ercOme this difficulty They have dis
covered a way to make flowers fade
less by using a certain chemical pro-
cess that makes all cOlOrS fast This
is a very valuable discovery to the
economist in dress, for every year
flowers that have been perfectly good
save for their faded color, have to be
discarded. This economy TO the buyer,
however, will probably prove the re-
verse TO the manufacturer, as 1t viii
greatly lessen the demand for artlfi-
cial flowers. There has been a steady
decrease for the last three years IN
the number of flowers imported The
Frnech floWermakers complain loudly
of the falling off of the American flow
e. trade, which dropped from 3O,OO0,000
francs in 1910 to 100000 in 1911 This
is not entirely due TO the simplified
trimming but also to the improved
trade developments which make II pos
sible to produce artificial flowers in
America that rival those of France
in beauty and quality
Auto Craze Has Bearing.
MillinerS generally agree that the
automobile craze has had an important
economic bearing upon millinery. PeO-
pie buy automobiles on such slender
purses that the investment calls forth
rigid economy in other expenditures.
Millinery always has been governed
largely by the state of the family fl
nances, and it is therefore the first
luxury to be reduced The automobile
does not require fine hats. In fact,
they are rather a disadvantage, as
cheap hats, scarfs and wells serve as
head covering, and the average woman
takes more pleasure in an automobile
spin than in displaying an elaborate
hat to her friends. OF cO~rse, for the
woman who does not have to consider
economy, there are numerous elabOr-
ate little hats shown especially de-
signed for automobiling. and the ugly
helmet and cap affected by the fem
mime autoist Z couple Of years ago is
no longer to be seen.
The newest thing is a cOllapsible au-
to hat that may be turned inside out
cross between a poke bonnet and a tur-
is driving along the city streets or
tie bonnet prettily trimmed with lace
and perhaps a tiny flower or two. IL |
she is taking a cross country ride or
going shopping, or if a shower comes !
up. the hat is simply turned inside out !
1t then presents the strictly tailored |
effect, having for trimming a bow or I
other ornament made in most cases /
from the straw braid like the hat it /
The economy Of rau 1