National Republican., 1873-12-09
A COLUMN FOR THELADIES.
WHAT WE. KNOW IBoUT FURs AND
BRIDAL COSTUMES.

WHAT VIZ KNoW ABoUT FURs AND
BRIDAL COSTUMES.
soMr rhuTs ABOUT FuRs THAT SHOULD
BE KNowN-wHERE THEY COME FROM
AND WHAT THEY hRE-CONvENTioNAL
DRESS FOR A BRIDE AND HER At
PENDANTS.
As iurs are now in order. few prominent faets
hrclntlon TO some OF the prominent varieties and
qualities may not bc unacceptable. The Deccm.
bcr number Of the popular Science Monthly"
contains paper from which the material Is
drawn Tor brief article upon the subject. 10
some readers the statements which follow VIII DO
no novelty, hut tho greater number, who are as
helpless In buying the fur Of a dead luadrupea as
anovicc Is In bargaining for live horse VIII DO
at Rast amused.
Tho first fact is, that much Of the FUR in the |
market is colorcd. Tho much-worn
AsrnAKuAS.
when thus prepared, is thoroughly dycd-hair, |
fur and skin. 1t is tho fur OF the young Of tho |
Assyrian OF Siberian shucp. Generally, however, |
only Tho end Of the hair or fur s tinted. The OBJ |
jcct Of this tintng Is to make an inferior skin np
pear like better one Of the same kind. furs |
vary In price and acturl value, according to the
season in which they are taken, the winter fur
being naturally the best in color, aneness aud |
uuTnDiHty. VI wv
IL maae TO pass for another ns the martcn |
for tho sable. Tho Pine marten, Russian |
skin, is nearly ns valuable as the sable, |
and the American Vine marton, which s
the hest variety, Is usually called by dealers
Hsdson's Bay cable. An inferior skin, that OF the |
stone marten, naturally OF q reddish brown, Is
frequently coiorod to resemble the pinc mnrten or
sable. The finest mink fur or essstnut brown
CLOSED with black is favorite. The poorer
mink skins Of q yellowlsh brown are often DYED
to,icoeiye the purchaser. The skin OF the animal
hmiiafiy called the skunk, but In natural MS
tory termed tho ntchot or htchet weasel, docs
duty under the namc OF Alaska sable some
times the black portions nro selected, joined To-
gcthor and sold undyed, as black mnrten
Sometimes the fur Of the animal Is sold under tho
name OF ieh, and tho skin Of the opossnm, It's fur
being dyed to resemble ntch, Is sold under that
name, the counterfeit OF counterfeit.
The fur Of tho
RUSSIAN Sable
by its richness and elegance stands among those
Mt tho head OF the list. Only about fifteen thou
sand OF tho animal are caught yearly, anu the
price OF the best genuine skins is from ~ to sloo
Even In tho undoubtod SABLE there Is opportunity
for m nipulation. Tho best black glossy skins
are takcn In tho winter, tho fur in the summer
hong or brownish hue. 1t is comparatively easy
TO test sable as tho hairs will turn and lie with
equal readiness IN huy direction, which may DC
proved by blowing upon the fur. Tho dyed sables
lose their gloss. Smoking Is sometimes resorted
to for the purpose OF darkening or deepening the
color. This deception may be detected by tho
smc1. 70 rub the fur with damp cloth will be.
tray the dye. But the best security for the buyer
Is to buy Of conscientious dealer. and not to do
mand q sable for the price Of n hteh. Many such
dealers may be found In our city. r..I.. q
- sEAL SKINS
are very common and the fur and skin arc ap-
piled to varions uses. Tho color OF the scal fur
somehow adapts tself very readily to the prevail
ing fashion. Not far from million Of seals are
taken annually. some seals have only coarse
hair, and their skins arc used for covering trunks
The ier-boarlng seals have long hair over their
tut, and though the most OF thismsy ho rcmored
by cardng, the bettsg sorts are finished by careful
picking hair by hair.
tl.i THE sEA-orrEn, on ALAsEA SEAL,
sthe most Valuable Of all the furs which pass
under tfrc name OF seal.skins. Tho animal has
tho habits Of tho sonl and resemblance to tho
otter It's larger than the otter and less than tho
soal. The fur is exceedingly finc SOFT and rel.
vety, perfectly black In fnl season, but at other
times Of a shining deep. sepia, or Of rich chest
nut brown. = rhc sea-ottcr fishery in hihska Is
rented by the Unito,i States tp a company,
Witch Is under contract to pay tssooo annual ren.
ID, and t2o2,1 on each skin shipped from Alaska.
Tho number which may be annually taken Is llm-
Itcu 10 ono nunufcu tnuutnuu, anu tuc eatVil III
is12 was about ninety six thousand Thescn-ottcr
formerly commanded In China from t6o b. t7o and
even eloo the skin ltwas a tradition among sail
ors, forty years ago that all tho sea-ottor skins
went TO China because othor people could
handle a FUR 50 hnc. Now, however, II Is fash
fonable iur in Europe and America, and its lmita.
tious are even more fashionable. Other otter
skins are also highly priAcd.
NrrRiA Vrn
ssembing the beaver. At is largely used in Eu.
rope for making hats. Tho muskrats, OF which
millions am takcn yearly, bestics ,hprcsring nm
derthoif Legitimate name, figure In the market
rs Alaska mink, seal and similar furM The chin
ohlla, first cousin TO the rabbit and tho squirrel,
furnishes u fayorite and common trimming, with
Its limitations The foxes Of tho northern parts
of this, continent furnish skins which are much
esteemed In Europe. Tho skin Of tho silver iox
ofLsbrador has been sold In London fur sou = 2
All tur.bearing animals are valuable for some.
thing, and as a rule, mshlon rejects what may be
tho .projnct Of q country, and prefers tho far.
fetched and dear bought. The Ingenuity Of manu-
factufcrs Is largely substituting textlIc fabrics
for snimais'skins, AMI, except for the lhhcy and
ths name. tha. woven article answers every pur.
pose. The Chinese are saitito dyo skIns b sue,
cessfully that they retain the gloss and keep thoIr
color. such limitations are nearly as good as the
genuine.
x BRIDALCosrUMES. ''h'
White satin is the conventional dress OF the
bride; but, as always heretofore, for tho present
season, many exceptions to the ru'e arc found In
both tho age hmi pccuniary clreupstsneesQf uhe
happy lady for whom intended. For Q bride
under twenty years Of age, unless Of unusually
precoeieus -wolaanhocd,s selinr y eonsldersd 600
heavy material, rIeh white sros.sraln Jslik,
white Cnambery- gaals, % IdiA muslin. Swiss
muii, French orsandy, Of wliite fatietan btfhg
substituted. In the selection OF satin, silk or
muslin, care mnst be tasen to get that Of milk
whits, IN prsference A. tho, yew ~ psarh white,
as the blush ungo OF the latter makes It very
uaAscoming to tho complexion, besides having a
muddy shade IN prtlnelAl llshh An Elegant robe
for = hriIo Of nineteen years, whlciiN We recently
saw at New York modistes, was OF
creamy white gros grain silk. Tho front
Of tLo skirt was a narrow kilt.plaitcd
yosc; upon each side were clusters Of diagonal
plaited cuas, each cluster trimmed with double
box.plaItiug Of doubled tulle, headedby garland
Of ofapgo blossows and bu,ls back Of hess PUT
hAeAwasa plain chatclnine reversed piece, gnndu.
ated from fur inches IN width at the top 10 twelve
inelies at the bottom, and trimmed with the tullc
dssbie lbox.plaitne, hesded by the orange bios.
sons, While the back ofthe' SKIRT was trimmed to
thewiith Of eighteen inches vtthtbrse. .lncli.wIdo
bnA fouuces, and looped In panicrs over the bus.
tic. The corsage was a basque with a square
front, position back, u heart-shnpcd neck, hlled
In With plaitings Of tullc, and antique sleeves,
finished with tulle plaltlngs, bouquet OF orange
blossoms being placed on the bosom aui about the
trimming on the sleeves. The veil was OF tulle,
twoyarJs vide and four yards long. gathered in
tho centre 80 as to leave short veil TO hl over
tire facc while the ends enveoped tho figure and
the wreath was Of orange blossoms and buds and
spirea. The fan was Of the Trianon szc OF white
applique lace on sticks OF motherofpearl, the
hSpAksrchief Of applique lace, and the slippers Of
white satin, trimmed wItha thiekly y-quiled obong
rosette. y JzLr irTIl ErGTT'
The bridcsmsids, dresses were Of white tarle-
tan made With, hounces, headed by double box.
pAitsd ruchins- op pthe skirt, worry full and doe p
Overskrts, Simply henmcd and loopod With rosos;
and high nockcd waists, hnishel with fssise,
and worn with wide pink, blue or sca-green rib
bon sssh and elbow sleeves, trimmed with u