The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-12-14
WINTER PLUMAGE

Like the birds that are continually
melting and then bursting forth in
brand new coats of feathers, our hats
keep changing their plumage. We
are just about getting used to GER
tain style of trimming when it has
absolutely changed it's character and
appeared in some other form. First
there are long stiff quilts. then we
see bunchy clusters of tiny feathers
and next there are long, sweeping
plumes of most feminine inspiration.
Almost any type of feather pompom
sides the many natural forms of bird
covering. There are all sorts of
treatments being used to disguise
ostrich and peacock end even simple
chicken feathers get dyed in fasci-
mating colors and are made up in ip-
tereStlng ways.
Every known manner Of decoration
has been applied to the added glory
of the already beautiful. qualities of
feathers. From time beynod history
they have played an important part
in both male and female adornment,
so the designers have an immense
quantity of material from which to
draw their information to create I'M
usual and astounding feather head
dresses. Certainly we cannot take
much credit for the ideas that are
continually being used, but what we
can do is use our newers and more
civilized dissertation in planning ap-
propriate and tasteful things.
For instance, take the hat in the
picture, which features a unique
feather cocarde on the rim of a large
satin hat. The complete effect is
reminiscent of the days of the
French empire, when men had tri
cornes on hats turned up back and
front and showed their patriotism by
wearing a tricolor on the hat. This
seems far-fetched, no doubt, but 1t
is interesting to think of the inspira>
ton for certain types of hats and
watch the many changes which
stamp them as automatically up-to-
date things.
The shape of the model is quite
true to its original forefather, but it
has none of the stiffness and man
ishness of the latter. The idea of
three colors is being kept, but here,
too, the former colors have been sub
dued and changed. They are toned
from old blue to gray and then to a
deep centre of black, making a very
smart spot on the otherwise dark
ness of the hat.
A number of large hats have i'm
mense tassels of ostrich dripping off
the edge of the brim of the falling
through open Sits in the brim. ely
cerine ostrich Is seen used in this
manner on small turbans and often
is the sole decoration on draped crepe
cloches and the newer braided hats.
The texture of glycerined ostrich is
of such fine, hairlike quality that it
is most adaptable for any use where
a soft line is needed. Fringes of deli
at the direct edge of some brims
used veil-fashion and appear quite
similar to the ruffles of fine net lace
that are used in the same fashion.
We are just beginning to see the
little brimless hats which feature
trimmings of different kinds of
feathers The special character of
these tiny. close-fitting models which
are largely more than just crowns is
we'll suited for the feathered wheels
and pompoms and smallest of bird
wings. A minute hat without brlm
of dark woolly red velours is pulled
way down over the ears and eye
brows and has for its solitary trim
ming four or five little golden rus
set birds breasts that seem to curl
slightly around the contour of the
face, making the softest of outlines
and the sweetest of styles. There
truly is nothing more becoming for a
small face or girlish type than the
tightly fitting hat with fuzzy little
feathers to emphasize the piquant
charm of small features.