Detroit evening times., 1943-01-08

- from changes
"n. r'hIhiN" In habits that
will be caused by the new pay
roll taxes and gasoline rationing.
women aren't going 20 want
hats that Sit on the tops Of their
heads. They want some that
they can pull down, TO keep
warm while they are waiting out
In the cold for a bus"
He took a scratch pad and
sketched an oval, representing
a head. Then he outlined a hat
that would come down over the
back of the head.
They'll probably be wearing
the hair high I'm front, like this"
he said. $50 wei add n strap
across the forehead 10 the hat
will stay on. Only they might
not get the idea ~ II, 40 we'll
put another strap like this---you
-ee--which will bring out the
military motif. That's how you
design hat on paper.
More than hats are going to
be changed, he thinks. He sus-
poets strongly that people are
going to pay a lot more atten-
tion TO scarves, lined rubber
boots and wool underwear.
Women may start wearing
underskirts again." he guessed.
'F wouldn't be surprised II they
did. With the lack of doctors,
after people have two or three
colds they'll start TO get sensible.
If we have an epidesnic OF
pneumonia, they'll dress more
warmly
SO. if you haven't begun 10
get the idea already, hats don't
just happen, and Brennan figures
things out a long way beyond
the feathers and ribbons.
He's a cigar smoker, a farmer,
and very much of a man who
figures things out.
Were going To do a lot Of
things differently because of the
war" he went on. THE other
day I went across the street for
lunch. There was no butter on
tho bread, the coffee was cold,
tho soup was cold, and II cost
me ~ cents. 1 think I'll bring
some stun In from the farm.
Well eat right here. think
some other businesses will be
doing the same thing-letting
the employees FIX their own
lunches"
This self-serve idea. resulting
from shortage Of people to do
the serving, already has got in
its licks in Brennan's business,
and he is selling h-,s cafeteria
Style-make your own while you
watt
Last November I fred the
girls I had because they were
just sales girls and not millin-
ers," he said. These days we've
got To have milliners. not Just
clerks.
Monday morning n woman
came In and said she wanted n
hat i said, We'll, why don't you
wait on the next customer?' She
said, Maybe you think I can't?
IL seems she used to work In one
OF the big New York stores.
"The next customer was a
woman with some fur that she
wanted to use on n hat, so the
first customer sold her n hat to
put IL on, and she took it home.v
Ever since then he's been ex-
perimenting with his cafeteria
style millinery.
'fDo they like the idea:- I
asked.
"Sure they like IT," said Bren-
nan. Anyway, what happens II
people can't get beefsteak, for
instance They never want to
do anything IL somebody will do
II for them, but II they have TO
do 10 themselves, then they do.
If they can't go out and buy a
steak dinner for So but can get
\ steak at the butchers, they'll
take 10 home and cook IL them
selves, won't they"
All this talk Of food may stem
from the fact that Brennan and
his wife have run a farm out
near Tecumseh Is years
started as a hobby with two
chickens and a COW, They now
have 5000 chickens and 80
Guernseys and make a profit.
" He pitches hay, drives trac-
tors, does carpentry and general
utility chores, and considers
pitchfork better for exercise
than a mashie-he hasn't played
much golf since he got his farm.
All of which hasn't much to
do with ladies' hats, except that
IL gives you a little better idea
of this Detroiter who tried ap-
plying horse sense to ladies'
hals and horaroa on ,rtfet - 40