Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 242, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1913 — Oddities in the Fancy Feathers [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Oddities in the Fancy Feathers

IF we knew where all the oddities In feathers come from we would be amazed at the resourcefulness of leather manufacturers. They take the plumage of all our barnyard Inhabitants and manipulate It into new and atrange and beautiful forms. They dye and trim and paste and bleach until we cannot even guess the origin of the feathers which charm us with Itheir queer shapes and markings. This is the day of triumph for fancy ►feathers, and no wonder. They deserve their popularity. Two lovely hats pictured here show how effectively these odd, new ornaments in feathers trim the pretty, •demi-dress hats which make up the most useful of our millinery belongings. The first model, with soft crown of velvet and small rolling brim, is a draped affair in taupe color. The crown is managed so that two points or loops of velvet are a part of it. It is a clever bit of draping, too, managing to convert the small, plain turban shape into a little Rembrandt hat of excellent style. Along one side, and extending into the back, small, ragged chrysanthemums of grayish pink shadings outline the upward lift of the velvet. Springing from the back five sprightly feathers complete an elegant conception in millinery. These dashing feathers come from the guinea hen or perhaps from the woodduck. At any rate they are all in the natural colors, gray, with white dots laid on, in the incomparable beauty which nature accomplishes. But they have

been retrimmed and reshaped by the artist in fancy feathers. A small “eye” in irridescent plumage, with a marking of white, has been pasted on. These add a sparkle to the otherwise grave coloring. From the pheasant, probably, the beautiful, mottled feathers shown in the other hat, were taken. The standing quills are not changed, except that they are shortened. The band about the crown is of small feathers sewed to a foundation.

Often long, soft quill takes the place of a' feather band, and is laid about the brim in the same way as a band. Among the shapes which turn up at the side or back the mounting of these quills and bands is accomplished by making a slit in the brim and thrusting the quill through this. Nothing else is needed on a soft, velour or velvet or beaver hat for trimming, although ribbon in the color of the hat is often used with, the feather band. With a world of lovely fancy feathers to choose from, there is no good reason to lament one’s Inability to buy more expensive but not more beautiful trimmings. And all those feathers which involve the practice of cruelty to obtain them, or those which threaten the extinction of species of beautiful birds, cannot possibly be in good taste on the heads of women. Ffir they bespeak an indifference which is unkind, and therefore unwomanly. The responsibility rests upon women.

JULIA BOTTOM LEY.