The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-17
DRESS
By ANNIE RITTENHOUSE


The Original Ribbon Hat Which Was
Started in Paris in Summer Has
Been Copied in Variety of Forms
Until 1t Has Reached High De-
gree of Popularity.
Paris, September S.-No one knows
who originated the ribbon hat. Proba-
bly, the idea in it's beginning was net
worth the name of a sponsor. But
whoever put out the first ribbon hat
threw a pebble in a pond. The critics
have widened so quickly that We may
be engulfed by ribbon hats. They are
not commonly worn on the streets of
Paris, but they deck the windows and
are taken to the seaside and mountain
resort. The first form was an expen-
sive affair; now the price of a ribbon
hat has drifted down to that Of a light
felt with it's wreath of fruit and flow
ers which has mad such amazing popu-
larity over here all the summer. The
first hat as you may know, was in the
shape of full cap, you can call it
Tam o'Shanter, a blue devils cap or
Henry VIII hat. At least, il had no
brim. Its width and fullness were built
from a headband. Its predecessor was
in velvet, in black, mauve, skyblue and
Vatican purple velvet, and it was sold
to the French women and the visitors
before the ribbon hat started in to
carry trade for itself. The original hat
also showed finer handwork than the
present one; it was made from narrow
ribbon, set up on edge, and carefully
gathered and pullel into a close net
work of lines that gave the impression
of a small bed of bright-colored flow
ers. The men called it bar5ed wire
design, and that's a good enough name
for it, 1t was made in soft velvet and
chenille ribbon as we'll as tafteta ana
grosgrain. Many followers TO this
original hat came tumbling on lis heels.
1t was too good an idea to remain eN-
elusive. After a few weeks of expert
menting the milliners gave the pubic
the chance to buy the hat at Tar less
than $50, which some of the milliners
asked for exclusive production OF the
original shape. And the public did not
feel it necessary to buy handbag
mounted on colored- polished wood to
go with the hat, although the Combina-
ton is much to be desired and gives
that touch of completeness to the cos
tune which the Parisienne has taught
the rest of the world.
One of the ribbon hats that has
marked popularity has a brim ard Is
shaped exactly like the prevailing feit
hat which in turn, is shaped ike
the felt hat worn by man. 1t is worn
differently, mind you, for the brim IL
the mans hat goes up and the brim OF
the womans hat goes DOWN Inc rAo-
bon hat has the same high crushed
crown that all the hats nave this
month and the brim is only about two
inches wide The foundation of the
hat is net, coarse colored net, ana the
ribbon, which is of taffeta, is made
into large flat roses that thickiy cover
the surface of the net. The nat IS as
light on the head as a soap bubble and
lets plenty of sun and air through 10
ho "a another
which the ribbon flowers stimulate
tiny immorteIles. Why this is adopted
by the milliners no one knows since
immortelles were banished from the
statutes of Stasborug and Metz in the
Place de la Concorde one would think
that Paris had done with those flowers
for ever There are tailored hats made
of ribbon in which all the lines are
straight from front to back and then
from side to side. The ribbon is put
up on it's edge, remember, and it mol
flat.