Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-06
Half the Hats Seen on Peachtree
Street Are Made Here, but
the Fact Is UnheraIded.
JoBBERS USE OWN LABELS
Factories Lose Identity When the
Product Is Shipped-MateriaIs
Come From Many Lands.

Half the women's hats seen on
Peachtree street are made right in
Atlanta
The fair Peachtree promenaders
don't know il; the milliners they pat
rorize don't know IL. in many cases
the jobbers themselves don't know II.
There are three factories In Atlanta
making women's hats, of straw feII
plush. hemp and the myriad other
materials which go to bedeck milady's
couture and frame her pretty face.
But as soon as the hat leaves these
factories the manufacturers lose their
identity. The hat is marked with the
iobber's label II may be marked
New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans
or even London The fact that It IS
made in Atlanta is nowhere to be dis
covered.
one manufacturer tells with a
grin. Of Atlanta milliners who
stocked up" IN New York-with At
lanta made hats
Altogether. It is an interesting bust
ness.
Materials From Afar.
The American Hat Manufacturing
Company. one OF the largest of the
three Atlanta factories. imports
straws direct from China, Japan,
Italy and Germany. These straws
are plated abroad, and either are
dyed there or bleached and dyed m
Camden. N. J,
Japan sends hemp braid. Italy fur
nishes the milans. leghorns and tus-
cans. Germany furnishes a peculiar
material known as Nsapofitan braid
which. though few know IT, 10 made
from American cotton. China fur
nishes coarse straws.
SO much for the stTaws, The felt
bodies come from abroad. In the
rough--queer, looking toadstoois Of
vRrious shades airls, ritbonA vel
vets. pushes and ornaments are car
ried IN quantity enough 10 stock a dry
goods store Of large proportions
Just now the factories are busy
with the hats 20 be worn this fall and
winter and with misses and chill
drens hats for spEing. 1914
Sample rooms already are ftIled
with fall and spring lines. dazzling
arrays OF colors, and seemingly In al
most every shape, but with smaller
hats predominating.
Plaster Hats the Start.
The making of a hat may be said tc
begin in the room where skilled
workman makes plaster molds accu-
rately defining the shapes From
these plaster affairs, metal dies are
made These dies are put In the
presses and heated BY gas flames
The rough shapes, either felt. velvet
straw or hemp. are stamped with
these hot dies and held in them unit
dry. When removed the heat hai
baked the sticky sizing" until th'
shapes are firm
From the presses the velvet and
plush hats go to a workman whC
steams them and brushes up the mar
10 It's original beauty.
The straw shapes are made in tn,
factory. Ingeniously designed sewinl
machines, manipulated BY Skillfu
girls, sew the braid round and round
until tiny knot grows into a gigantic
hat In the straw season $50 girl!
are busy at these machines
Other ingenious machines sew IL
Innings. attach cloth crowns to bruins
bind brims. and do other complicated
stitching which would seem 10 neet
the skill Of the human hand.
Girl Designs Trimmings.
The elaborate bows and trimming
are designed by the young forewom
an. who then teaches the girls under
how 10 make them. This, In itself. Il
work requiring art
Ready for shipment, the hats are
put IN tho familiar round boxes
these, too, made IN the factory, and
then In big corrugated paper cases.
on they 20 bringing Atlanta No
glory-but considerable money!