Evening star., 1953-01-15
HigF1-Hat Era
May Be Ended
By Eisenhower
Choice Of Homburq
Forces Dignitories
To Revise Wardrobe
By John v. Horner

~S~~s~~~S
decision to wear a homburg hat
and sack coat to his inaugura-
ton Tuesday breaks a century
old tradition that may spell the
end of the high hat and cutaway
era.
His firm stand against the silk
topper and formal coat, an
nounced yesterday in New York,
was greeted with a mixture of
groanS and cheers. Tt also sent
hundreds of dignitaries scurry-
ing to their tailors for a change
in wardrobe.
wonderful" cried one hat
ter. Hes the hat industry's
sweetheart" said another.
A third was unenthusiastic. He
said homburgs and toppers differ
as much as day and night-even
as much as life and death.
"a homburg," he declared, sis
simply dressy everyday hat
not a dress hat in any sense of
the word. The silk hat is the
only formal hat. correct for both
day and night wear"
Tailor Describes Coat.
James Hagerty, the President
elects press secretary. told re-
porters Gen. Eisenhower had de-
termined to wear a black-gray
Club" coat with his black hom-
burg, but that description was
rejected by the generals per-
sonal tailor.
"A club coat" exclaimed the
tailor. That's not right. You
could call it a directors suit but
that's a misnomer. too. We made
it for him when he took Office at
Columbia University in 1948."
The New York Herald Tribune,
which identified the tailor as
Walter j. McFadden of the F. L.
Dunno Co., New York, quoted
him as saying:
"It's a single-breasted sack
coat and waiStcoat of cashmere
material. both black-gray, little
darker than Oxford. The waist
coat has a notched collar-a
little collar vest-aEd the trous-
ers are very dark gray-and-black
mixture striped worsted. It's not
a very loud pair. Moderate width
stripes-evenly striped. about q
half-inch for two stripes.
Hell have a turned-down
starched collar. of course, and
the silver-gray-and-hla black mix
ture fine ribbed silk tie. He'll
undoubtedly wear the dark blue
Chesterfield overcoat. too."
Mr.. McFadden added that "it's
quite satisfactory and suitable
for that occasion if one doesn't
care to be too stiffly dressed" :"
He said the inaugural clothes
bear the same relation to a cut
away that a tuxedo does to white
tie and tails.
In preparation for the inau-
gural, many highly-placed public
officials had ordered new formal
clothes. including cutaways and
silk hats. Among these were such
incoming cabinet officers as
George NJ. Humphrey, the Secre-
tary of the Treasury designate,
and Harold E. Talbot, who will
be Secretary of the Air Force in
the Eisenhower administration.
McGarraghy a Victim.
In Washington, Joseph C. Nc
Garraghy. chairman of the COM
mlttee in charge Of Inauguration
plans. is among the victims.
Mr.. McGarraghy placed rush
order for a cutaway at one Of
the capitals finest shops last
week. His measurements were
taken by the owner himself, and
transmitted by long distance tele-
phone to the makers. The chair
man was to have had a fitting
today and expected delivery of
the cutaway Saturday.
The topper is a hard-based,
straight up and down hat that
gives the wearer appearance of
height. The homburg is a soft
felt hat with dented crown.
Warren Smith, secretary
treasurer of the Hat Institute,
Inc. said in New York that
George Washington wore a tri-
corne-a three-cornered cere-
monial hat-when he was sworn
in as President. The next II
Presidents wore beavers.
Then came the silk top hats.
They originated in England in
1880 but didn't catch on in this
country until 1850. All Presi-
dents since then have worn the
topper.
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