Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-07
Fans.
ANN paprcyAN

Fans.
JAPANESE, vIEHNEsE AND PARTISAN.
II the rulers OF fashion were absolute MOI
archs, everybody would be dressed after 500 .
picture this summer, and the crowd at the Nh
te ng-places would look as II each onc OF the
ss asS
WED the French Revolution, or even the battle
of Culoden, but as all except \ fe Y Of the hui
the arbIters of clothes Will not be fulfilled, aud
patchwork will be the only name for some of
the costumes. Matters are bad enough now,
T when young persons whose esSenes cost great
as compensation to their fellow beings for the
expenditure made in their behalf, are not afraid
tn wear panier Graperies and kilt skirts, and
square waistcoatS and Steenkirk ties at the
same time, and When they begin to carry fans
they v Ill probably choose the most japanese
OF an that At ever LEFT Japan or that Were ever
tune with II. and sail away with as much OF
the air of French marquise as they have been
able to acquire in a few weeks practice There
is excuse for this, for it is easy enough to Oh
tain an harmonious costume IL one have money
enough to pay for it, and women who h ave not
have no right to try to make historical portraits
to wear diamonds.
Anachronism is inexcusable in fans, for they
are not expensive this year, and there is no end
to their styles and the periods that they repre-
sent. First are the Vienna fans, which are OF
so many cOlors and sizes that one may be found
to match almost any dress not strictly historic
anu vi Ill PRICES, from ClOSe winch would not
drain the most slender purse to those which
would agreeaby deplete one that was over-ple
tholtc. The newest Of these has the sticks of
Russia leather ornamented with an intricate
design In gold or silver. and the mount OF Grim
son silk embroidered in gold or silver braid
These are rich, and not too SNOWY for genera
use: their price is six dollars. Other Russia
leather fans, with crimson mounts, with sticks
finished with lac varnish, leather outer guards;
or with crimson mounts with flower Wreaths
painted upon them with ivory beetles and gold
n of1x
sold at prices ranging from five to one dollar,
for which one can buy the extension fans that
are so convenient for travelling and such power
ful weapons IN pretty hands that could never
manage Spanish fan, but can do wonders with
the extension.
1t does not seem quite certain that the fold
ing fan Is quite fit for American hands, and one
is half tempted sometimes to wish that only the
round fan was In general use that one might no
longer see how ugly a simple, unonending Cir
cular segment OF SILK may become when N unted
On sticks. tightly graSped, and frantically jerked
back ard forth. Even the plain palmleaf fan of
the country church or the paste-board shield OF
the public dining-rOOm Is less liable to ungrace-
full treatment than that OF the shape carried by
Marie Antoinette, by the japanese and by the
girls OF Cad1z. By the way, il women must ap-
pear in costume, dress that would suggest
the Spanish costume would be easy to arrange
and suitable either for blonde or brunette since
one might feign to be either Gothic Or Roman
by descent, according to ones complexion. Any
milliner could make black lace bonnet that
draperies, a red rose behind the ear, just where
Paris now says that a flower must be worn, and
black fan would do the rest, always provided
that one knew how to use the fan, an art which
the Span1ards say can no more be acquired by
foreigner than that of arranging the mantilla
ard the comb. The fan should be very large
and very black. Spain Is not the land Of friv-
Olity, even in trifieS.
Bes ideS the extension fans there are others Of
the screen shape such, for instance. as the JAP
aneSe fans that are so much employed for dec
Grafton, and which are little TOO Oriental to
accord well with stuffs now worn, although they
viii harmonic perfectly with the Japanese
stufIs that are said to be coming. On one side
Of these fans are groups and OF
ed porcelain face, and on the other are clusters
OF bright flowers On white or cOlored grounds.
Tee harlequin fan, novelty of this seasons
importation, has ground of olive, upon which
are spots OF turquoise, cardinal. white, silver,
black and gold, each spot making the ground
work for picture. The photograph fan has
ground OF olive, on which are outlined cards of
various sizes, and all but two bearing designs
In gilt One card space is left unadorned ap-
parently that name may be inserted, and
upon the other is pasted photograph OF a
Japanese scene. The white outer guard that
appeared on some OF these fans last year will
be In great favor this season, and these with
black sticks and guards, and with gallery
sticks, have been imported in immense guam
titles.
Among the more elegant Vienna fans are
many which are accompanied by boxes match
Sometimes these are of the sweet-scented violet
wood, sometimes OF ivory or ebony decorated
by hand, and sometimes OF soft-tinted silk
painted fn water color. The newest fan. boxes
have two compartments, In one of which is
placed the chatelaine, composed OF long straight
links matching the sticks OF the fan, and tin-
ished In gold, silver or ivory, While the fan it
self occupies the larger space. Among the new
decorations is kind OF painting which has
the design with colored powder, and another
looks as If the ground were spattered by the
plan dear to the maker OF tides afterward
Fans in pekin OF all cOlors are made up so that
each stripe passes straight across the half-crcie
Of the fan, but nothing short OF actual measure
ter1al is not cut crosswise. These fans are made
kept In stock.
The richest of all fans Is that OF point lace
made up over black satin, and having sticks OF
white or clOuded pearl, and the Chantilly over
white satin. with ebony sticks. These fans are
not for giday young girls who would lose them,
break them and dIsrespectfully use them, but
tenderly and preserve them many seasons.
Brides have them for wedding gifts now and
then, and they also have those with tortoise
lot OF many Celluloid is now made into fair
imitation of tortoise shell at about half its cost,
and Is as strong as the genuine material is frail
Leather fans are never out OF fashion, and a
Few choice rarities are produced each season
The most beautiful this year has fringe OF
Ibis plumage and mount of the dark brown
feathers OF the Thibet peacock.
OF oAfdiZed silver and OF combinations OF silver
ard gold. Tie chains are usually slender,
and the pins are either square or round, and
engraved either with Japanese designs or with
conventionaliZed groups Of flowers. All the
fans sold without chatelaineS have pretty
wrist tassels In bright colors.-BoSton Tran
script.
A IN