Evening star., 1924-05-08
DEALERS ARE READY
FOR new STRAW LID
Fashion's Decree for the Well
Dressed Man in Effect
May Is.
SOME CITIES ADVANCE DATE
Manufacturers Unite in Forecast
ing Big Season.
: By j. c. RQYLE.

"s Ss - Ato E1k%s
Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, May s-Male New
York and Boston will blossom forth
in their new straw hats May Is.
Philadelphia and Baltimore placed the
official seasonal sanction on the
straw head covering last Saturday
although the weather has scarcely
had a chance as yet to countersign
the edict. st. Louis will flock TO the
hatters' next Saturday and Chicago
and Detroit men will follow suit some
time between May Is and IS. How
ever, it is the thermometer and the
sun that really fire the starting gun
for the straw hat year, and in the
south the season is already well under
way.
Foresee Big Trade.
Manufacturers and dealers unite
in predicting an excellent season, al
though they say the volume oftrade
probably will show little gain over
1928. Business done already in the
south is supporting their contentious.
But it is going to be different kind
of a trade than in the past For re-
tailers have decided to order small
lots frequently; they can do business
in much smaller quarters, save rent,
leave more money free and avoid be-
ing stuck with styles which are un-
popular, Also that policy has min
lmized the necessity of cutting prices
in midseason and arranging bargain
sales in order to clear their shelves
much factor in the trade in 1924 as
the original order. Repeat orders al
ready are coming in from New Orleans
and Texas points.
Comment on Styles.
"As to styles" one leading maker OF
Baltimore, the center of the rnanufac-
turing end of the straw hat industry
said today, lit would be difficult to de-
termine any outstanding feature this
year. The trade has come to demand
such wide variety that we supply all
types and leave the choice TO the retail
dealer, who can sound out the tastes
Of his own clientele.
~The outstanding feature, in my opin-
ion, is the trend toward a wider brim
| predict we will slowly come back to
the extremely wide brim of a few years
ago, but the higher crown will replace
the extremely low crown Of those days
The demand has been for more comfort
and ease. which was not produced by
the very low crown.
''The elimination Of discomfort from
the hard straw hat has been one OF the
This has been solved in large part by
higher crowns, properly shapel to fl
the curve of the head, and more COM
Portable leather sweatbands, which have
softened the strain on the forehead"
Colored Bands in Demand.
Manufacturers agree that one OF
the features of the 1924 season is the
demand for colored bands This de-
mand. however, does not run TO vivid
colors, but finds expression in stripes
OF gray and black, somber tans and a
few green's of dark hue.
Geography seems to govern the
popu larity of the various braids In
the south and southwest the per-
formance runs to natural braids, un-
bleached, with tanS and light shades
predominating. In. the middle west
the demand is about equally divided
between the bleached and unbleached
natural braids, while in the east the
decided inclin alton to striped bands
More emphasis than ever before is
being placed by dealers on the advisa-
bility and necessity Of more than one
straw hat for the well-dreSSed man.
They declare that three straws are
required. One must be a soft bod y
straw. such as is represented by the
Panama, Bankok or Milan weaves. for
sport and country wear. A sennit
braid in a stiff shape with a saw
edge and a striped band is named
China stiff straw with d wide black
band for dress occasions
Manufacturers of boxes and con-
tainers for shipping hats by parcel
post and express expect to do a large
business this year.