The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-30
DRESS AND SUGGESTIONS
.,,r ..444,~or.r FOR WOMEN
The Milliners Experiment With New
Models for August, Which They
Hope Will Prove to Be Success
in October.

New York. July 2s.-We have had
chaotic season in millinery. Whether
it is wrong or right. is not TO the
point The disturbing fact Is that II
has been different from what was ex-
pected.
1t has been successful in great
measure. Ii is possible that the mil
liners feel that they have been better
treated by the public than the dress
makers. in the sudden emergency OF
war.
1t is difficult for even an expert 70
get at the truth of trade during the
last three months. for corporations arc
like individuals. they not only differ tx
the statements of their success or fail
ure. according to their mood or char
acter. but the optimism of one is bal
anced by the pessimism Of another
Therefore. the seeker after facts Is
thwarted at every turn, unless he Is
an expert adding machine.
COMPLAINT OF DRESSMAKERS
The exclusive dressmakers. those
for their allure to an exclusive pub
lie. had remarkable season until the
end OF May. and then there came
break because of hysteria. They have,
however, picked up an unusual amount
of July business through introducing
a most heterogeneous collection OF
gowns made by the wholesale manu-
facturers.
The selling of these gowns has pro
duced a ripple of amusement among
those who watch conditions closely, for
this reason; they were bought from the
wholesalers and the small factories
that turn out ready -to-wear clothes.
but their price depends entirely upon
the name of the dressmaker and the
rental of the shop. Sometimes, - be
truthful, it depends upon good or
bad bit of workmanship and the use
of poor or excellent accessories.
1t would be interesting in this
season to trace from the source the
various prices of one gown No one
who does even an ordinary amount
of shopping can fail to find at least
five prices for the same gown during
as many days. Such costumery, sold
by the dozen and turned out by the
hundreds, has been the mainstay of
the dressmakers all over New York
this summer. regardless of what 1t
may have been in other cities.
The milliners, however, have diff
ferent tale to tell. Inere mas Deen
an astonishing variety in hats ever
since January, and it is difficult to
see whether this is based on clever
organizations in this country or on a
gamble with a hundred or more diff
ferent models in the reckless hope of
making money somewhere. somehow
Today only the new shapes COM
mand the attention of the clever buy
ers The old shapes may be renewed
as the autumn comes in. but they
will not be built of straw At this
hour velvet and satin, with an aston
ishing influx of felt, hold the atten-
ton of the milliners and the women
who are searching for something new
to wear during August. 1t has been
a tradition in this country, borrowed
from France. that the first of August
and new hats must make their ap-
pearance together.
YOUNG GIRLS WEAR BONNETS
There were epochs when the older
women made the advances in style,
but today the young woman is the
leader. and often dictator. 1t is to
her that the experts are looking for
the success of many of the new bits
of headgear that are being shown in
the shops and offered to exclusive
patrons
The sketch shows a new hat worn
at a restaurant by a young woman