Evening star., 1932-08-21
Millinery Becomes Medium
For Variety in Expression

hat go into as many editions as apopu-
lar novel, thousands being turned out
each week alike. so that woman could
not walk hundred meters without run
ming into another wearing the same hat
as herself.
/. The psychological effect of this on
woman who has been holding her head
high with that Incompatible air OF
knowing she is we'll and Individually
dressed is devastating. When you know
that lots of others have exactly the
came thing, you can no longer exhibit
your own treasure with the same pride
and inner satisfaction, and much OF
the smartness Of the great women who
in Paris establish fashions is directly
traceable to that priceless "air" that is
the result Of what they feel inWardly,
rather than what they wear outwardly.
Many witty remarks have been made
about women and their age One will
say they are as old sS their friends.
A popular contemporary French writer
says they are as old as their husbands,
while you will find another saying they
are as old as the books they read or as
old as they feel. The last is nearest
the truth. Why? Because a woman's
hat, more than anything else, sets the
tone for her thoughts. The dress comes
iISht, Dut ~ ID dCSldcOIy SCCOlludI y n
woman Is as old as she feels, but she
feels the age her hat implies There
are women a-plenty and everybody
knows at least one, who admits openly
she could not have good time in
such and such a hat, or she will tell
you after returning home from not
overjoyous excursion, II feel too dig
nifled in that hat to amuse myself"
** x
THERE are gay hats, informal, light,
supple, smiling, adaptable; there
are dignified hats that look stiff and
ceremonious and communicate the
same feeling to their wearers; there are
coquettish hats, and hats that make all
women look like grand ladies; all kinds
of hats, in fact, expressive of every
mood
Since the thought you carry regard
! ing your hat Is in turn to be extended
! to your own self and to leave its impress
on your appearance, it follows that only
in an original creation made especially
| for you will the greatest measure of in
! dependence, self-aSsurance, joie-de-
| vivre, personality, individuality, chic
! be felt and expressed. There is no
healthy reason upon earth for any two
women wearing Identical hats or dresses.
Did Rembrandt and Corot paint two
pictures exactly alike and keep on copy
ing these over and over again? Did
Shakespeare and Moliere write the same
plays over, repeating each time the orig
inal theme? Did the great architects
keep copying one cathedral so that they
would all be identical? Have poems,
sculptures, symphonies and novels ali
tried to conform to the same technical
pattern? There is no more reason why
millinery should resign its right to be
a medium for infinitely varied express
sion, either.
A s milliner, take my art quite as
seriously as any other artist takes
his. and I have no patience with any,
thing short Of the best which it can
give, in keeping with its highest tradi-
tions. To give merely so much felt and
fe1thers that cover woman's head
and for which she pays handsomely is
bv no means my ambition, any more
than an artist worthy of the name
would be satisfied to sell for an attrac-
tive fee mere sheet Of canvas covered
with splotches of color.
1t is the personality that goes into
these creations that gives us JOY. 1t is
the original model, into whose making
real love has gone. into whose hand
made form have entered stitches pro-
ducing an effect that can never be re-
produced by machine, that I admire
and copies of these will always affect
me as manufactured reproductions of q
real child would affect the mother who
gave that child birth. They can neve,
be regarded as being quite real ano
there is even something of sacrilege
about this imitation!
With Autumn approaching, felt is
already returning and above ell. taupt
satin. also panne velvet Late Summe,
will zee many velvet hats worn with
light dresses, giving an unexpected con-
trast of fabrics, and the velvet hat vii
be conspicuous next Winter.
Copyright, ls32.)