The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-04-02
THE q ASK u = TT Err
EASTER. MIL i .INJERY
BY Frederic =. Haslin.

! EAo LEX u
il By Frederic
"a foolish little maiden bought a
foolish little bonnet. n
with q ribbon and feather. and a
4 bit of lace upon IT. "
Not since the days of our grand
mothers have there been SO many
1 foolish little bonnets upon the Eas-
ter market. as ts5F:zng. yet the
!supply OF sane and serviceable head
gear, too, is seemingly endless in
variety Never before have the hats
OF season given SO wide a scope for
lfnidividuaI taste as at present. In
| size they range from the cart wheel
| to the peanut" as the young thing
described them last week, and in ma
terial you may have anything from
the finest imported braid to cheap
Turkish toweling. a woman has
only 70 state her price and prefer
cnce and she vii be supplied accord
inly.
The effect Of the war in Europe
upon the millinery materials has
been smaller than is generally sup
posed because this years supplies
were contracted formonths ago. De-
spite contrary statements upon the
part OF some retail mil1iners. the
Tuscan. Milan and Leghorn braids
imported from France and Italy are
likely to be more than equal to the
demand. and the price has not p->an
materially increased.
The Made in America" idea is be-
ing especially exploited among Amer
lean desi gners and thousands or
American hats are upon the market.
But to most people they suggest a.
COW Of former European models,
rather than distinct national style
a woman who made the rounds OF
the New York shops this spring IN
formed her friends that. while Amer
lean designs have been greatly I'M
proved and are creditable to the mil.
liners who have originated them. they
ere vet a little below the EuropeSn
standards. so that II the war shouid
close this year we should return "
France for our models. IS the wal
continues several seasons. it is Quite
nossible that New York may sun
tplant Paris and Vienna in setuns the
millinery styles OF the world.
one Of the noticeable features OF
ira n,;1liniery CT IS season is the
small number of ostrich leather 70 70
he seen. This is not due to any tali=
ure of the supply. as has been cialni-.
| "a mr. ia n lack of demand for them.
irTha craze for the willow plume sew
ieral seasons ago. in the opinion -
1.-The importer, reached such helgh.
that the average woman became tired
iof ostrich trimmings. Ihose VIZ WIZ
imanipu1ate the trade in London.
which Is the great ostrich feather
market Of the world, are too shreWd
10 lower the prices of the ostrlch
nJumes notably. The dealers who
have paid a good price for their 1or
TIMER stock are not going to sacrlnce
IN They know that in another sea
son or two. ostrich plumes will be
brought into fresh favor and sold at
las high prices as ever
Contrary to some recently publish
ed stories, the ostrich raising indus
try in this country has as yet hardly
reached noteworthy Importance
Only about half dozen farms are
selling feathers and these in quaint
ties only sufficient to supply the
man, in an ostrich feather season.
The importation of ostrich feathers
in 1913. when the willow plume fad
was at its height. amounted to over
Sin and a quarter million dollars.
nearly double that Of 1912 Last
wear ii fell back to something over
s4.00u.0ON, and it is believed that
This year. a still greater shrinkage
will be noted, because the hats trim
med with ostrich feathers now aver
age less than one in hundred.
The origin of some new method OF
using these feathers will tend to in
crease the demand. Perhaps this
has already been begun in the feath-
er lowers shown this year for Ine
#firss time These are manufactured
OF small pieces Of ostrich feathers.
thus utilizing old and discarded stock
but the quantity is not likely to be
large
The average woman finds the price
in mats lower this year than usual.
and the millinier admits that this is
due chiefly to the amount Of woven
fabric being used instead Of straw
lit is cheaper and easier to cover a
hat frame with silk or satin than
elusive shops have not lowered their!
prices, The variety of five and ten
dollars hats is tremend and the
lsmiliners are making UP price in the
numbers sold. The styles are chang:
ing so rapidly that a model may be-
come passed over in few weeks.
and many women prefer to buy four
or six hats as q moderate price dur
|; ing. a year. rather than pay a high
;tprice for one or two.
a speaker at a millinery conven-
titan claims that the millinery trade.
1 Of this country has quadrupled in
value in the last quarter OF cen
fury. while the number OF hats act
iually4 sold has multiplied at least by
ten This takes no account Of the
enormous number OF hats evolS~-SS
leach season by the home millinier