Year: 1878

1t has beer reported in almost ever,


paper IN the country that Jennie Jun


said fashionable bonnet could b.


bought for two dollars, but certainly


never said anything of the kind. Wha


did say was this: That a hat NOR,


suitable for wear with tweed travelling


dress could be made at home, with thtt


help of a proper frame, for two dollar.


Using the material OF the dress for s


covering-than q fashionable bonne,


which cost from 500 to $40. For nv


own part, have never been able te


find pretty. well-made bonnets at rea,


sonable prices in ordinary milliner


shops-at least not within the past fif.


teen years. Bonnets are the most un.
satisfactory of purchases, tha cost OF


what is called q "stylish" one being 40
out of all proportion to its value. There


was time when bonnets were bonnets,
Notwithstanding their ugliness. The
hrst cost OF fine one was matter of
little importance, for the Tuscan or
Leghorn braid, the English split straw
and fine Neapolitan could be cleaned and
made over many times if required, and
the handsome ostrich plume or piece of
real lace could be made to serve its our
pose over and over again. But it is
very different nowadays. Money is
thrown away on fine straw or chips, for
the shapes are so insignificant and 80
fantastic that they could not possibly
be considered permanent, and the trim
mings are heterogeneous mixture
which change their color and variety
with every season, and must never show
themselves twice alike


There was certain kind OF satisfaction
in paying from $40 to $20 for a bonnet
when it had permanent value in itself
and its belongings. But there is none
now, when it seems to be a mixture of
mere scraps and odds and ends and so I
insist that it is better to follow fashion
strictly, using ones own skill and inge-
nuity in working out ideas, than to pay
enormous prices for what is, after ali,
neither suitable nor satisfactory.


Fortunately, there seems to be pros-
pect of improvement in this respect. 1t
has been hard for the mllliners to follow
the course of city industries and reduce
their charges, but they have been
obliged to do it. They will also have to
study how to accommodate themselves
to more diversified class of purchasers.


In the largest dry goods stores of all
our large cities a lady can find ready
made suits and dresses at any price she
can afford to pay, from the calico
wrapper at one dellar to the most ele.
CANT reception dress of $3.50. But the
fashionable millinery establishments
cultivate only one class of custom, and
that the most idiotic as we'll as the most
class, for it is folly to paw
s35 for simple walking hat, which is
what fashionable milIiner asked the |
other day, with the apologetic remark.
for its lew(?) price: because it's only |
q simple little hat you know"


In London the guinea bonnet il an in
stitution, can be found in infinite vari-
ETY. and is tasteful, pretty, well made
and salts factory in all respects. If we
could 60 out aud find such bonnets here
for from five to seven dollars each, it
would seem like foretaste of the mil
enium. But we have never been able
20 do this. By accident one can some
lines discover a plain, sensible hat or
at fairly reasonable price; but
t is so purely by accident that one won.
lers how it came there and that same
lat or bonnet, or one like it, is never to
,e found where it is wanted,