The advent of Whitsuntide and the close of the straw hat season usually coincide. Trade will still be done, but the rush is over.

So far as ladies' hats are concerned there appears to have been the normal volume of business, but compared with last season prices have averaged lower and have shown less profit to the manufacturer. The situation has been somewhat relieved by a downward tendency in the prices of raw materials. The supplies from the Far East showing no diminution, the Paris market very limited in its wants, the Berlin and Vienna centres practically closed, Luton had sent to it quite as much material as it could deal with. Skilled labour also showed a diminution, as straw operatives were in many cases induced to take work connected with the supply of war materials.

During the course of the season a demand has arisen for half-millinery hats, which has given scope for the production of a great variety of designs. These are not made by sewing machines, but are essentially hand work. Artificial silks of various kinds are employed in the manufacture of them, and hand sewers find remunerative occupation producing them.

All such hats are of moderate dimensions. One may notice that in Luton many young lady machinists wear these hand-made hats, although they interfere with their own occupation. Recently in one of our public parks the writer heard some very sarcastic remarks from two girl machinists, referring to two other machinists who passed them wearing hand-made fancy hats - their own were machine-made tagels.

The very general use of hemp tagels has greatly reduced the employment of Italian and Japanese chip. This for many years was the leading material for ladies' hats, but it is now only used for the lowest grades, and its value as a raw material has diminished greatly, to the evident loss of those who held heavy stocks when the change set in. For the best quality hats at the present moment Tuscan plaits are in favour, which gives the Italians an opportunity for good business.

Notwithstanding the European war, Luton has apparently secured a normal season for its special productions. It was feared at the commencement that disastrous results would follow, from the abnormal conditions that then existed. One hears that the local banks were very much concerned as to the effects upon the general trading conditions, but apparently the chief alteration is the use of paper money in the place of gold.

The prolongation of warlike conditions has had a disastrous effect upon the trade for men's boaters. This was formerly regarded as the most stable branch of our local industry, but the war has altered all this. The hundreds of thousands of Territorials who wear khaki must necessarily have a depressing effect upon the market for straws. this is not only in Luton, but with all the chief centred of distribution in the British Isles.

A representative of a Glasgow firm told the writer that they had 200 dozen men's straw boaters, and they hardly sold one-twelfth a week. This is doubtless the experience of firms located in Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin, Belfast and London. One may safely assume that one million fewer of these hats are worn this season than is usually the case.

Luton still retains its hold upon the shipping trade and, although many men's hats are shipped to the colonies, the home market has been the most important. Ladies' hats are still despatched in large numbers to all parts of the civilised world, from Vancouver to New Zealand, and from Norway to South Africa and Australia.

One collateral effect of the war is that Paris designers of shapes are now located in London, and they at frequent intervals send representatives to Luton with their productions. Luton manufacturers purchase selections of them and thus keep themselves well informed of the trend of fashion. In one case at least a Belgian fugitive from Malines finds occupation in this way.

[The Luton News, May 27th, 1915]