Show Straws In the Wi Wind Wid d dT T TIME IME was when anybody could describe a aA aV alady's V A ladys lady's hat It was a toque a Gainsborough or orny any ny one of many standard patterns changing V with the years only as to trimmings Birds feathers feathers feath feath- ers ers us fruits flowers and various neatly contrived gew gew gaws would tell an observant woman at t a glance whether or not Mrs Smythes Smythe's I ering was a la mode or last years year's chapeau re remodeled remodeled re- re modeled and redecorated But times limes change Now no one can describe prevailing millinery It has to be seen to be enjoyed Formerly en enjoyed enjoyed enjoyed en- en joyed by the wearer it is now entertainment for whole crowds The surrealists are to be blamed for that J fIt It s seems ms passing strange that though hats hatsh h have ve been worn since earliest times in Assyria Rome Greece and the most ancient Orient they furnish no dependable index of evolving intelligence intelligence intelli intelli- gence or culture Some may even argue that V hats for many past centuries have been phenomena going from bad to worse V from the sublime to the ridiculous from the cocked hat to the cockeyed hat as it were r J ZV Take out your old illustrated family Bible and Wand find a picture of Rachel Ruth Rebecca or any or-any any of the best dressed women of that time V Can you find any of them wearing a a. hat Nary l a one It was the men who went in for the fancy I. I They wore them to get protection from the weather to help them with their work I r or or to frighten their enemies When women took over the business of wearing hats it was for forI V I ne neither ther of the first two reasons so it it must have ave b been er for the third doubtless bringing into common common cornmon com com- mon mon use ue the familiar saying she look i. i I a fright in that hat t But it was of mens men's hats we were intending to write Since the Saxons' Saxons haet the Germ German German Ger- Ger m man n barbarians barbarians' hut th the early Jews' Jews pilos piles and V the Greeks' Greeks men have moved to the adoption of standard models models hard hard and soft r felts and hard and soft vegetable hats Is a sailor L a man mal who goes to sea a movie producer famous for bathing beauties Panama a place to tot V t V t r V I. I V 4 t f l l Y i dig canals No they are all aU hats and all made from a variety of grass hay and straw If Thursday May 26 is a blustery day there will be straws in the wind wind which which is just another way of saying that straw hats are are official from then on to the end of summer Any hour haberdashers haberdashers' haberdashers haberdashers' haberdashers haberdashers' haber haber- dashers' dashers windows may be expected to break out with the seasons season's newest models Few changes over over former models will be noted but hat bands sporting every hue in the spectrum may maybe maybe maybe be worn without violating the canons of good taste So make a note of it it men Thursday men Thursday the is straw hat day Blossom out Be gay Be I cool Be debonair Be in step with fash- fash ion Hold onto your hat or it too will be gone I with the wind |