Styles for men's straw hats are set about one year in advance.
Sample hats are manufactured in May and June and orders are taken by
manufacturers in July, August, and September for hats to be delivered
the following spring. This custom of the trade makes it possible for
foreign manufacturers to copy and offer in competition the same styles
as those made by American manufacturers. Imported hats have a wide range
of styles and prices, including not only sewed hats of sennit braid
but also those of fancy braids, and woven body hats such as leghorns.
Domestic hats also comprise a wide range of styles and prices. Within
this range there is a more or less definitely limited field in which
imports compete directly with domestic merchandise.