St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-29
RINGS AND BANGLES.
The Extraordinary Decorations HhfcI
Ddndies IRE BeyFnnin0 70 DisDIau

The E.r rdO rdindrU Decorations Witch
DdHdies Are BeJinnin0 70 Display.
Two men boarded a Broadway car last
night at Twenty-first street. Their faces
have been familiar in the windows of the
Union club for many years. One of them
is tall, rather corpuleut, and red faced, aud
the other is very similar, except that be isn't
tall. They sat down stifiiy, aud looked with
owl like severity at the signs on the roof of
the car until they arrived at DelmouicO's,
where they alightcd. The taller of the two
wore three rings on the third finger of his
left hand, one on the little finger, and two
additional rings on the right hand. As be
displayed them all by resting his hands on
his knees, the other passengers had good
oppor tunity for examining them. or the
three rings on his left hand, the upper one
was of pain silver, but square edged. The
second one was gold. A valuable diamond
was set In it. There was a seal ringon the
little finger of that hand. or tic two rings
on his right hand, one was heavily chased
serpent with diamond in the head aud the
other was very thin aud delicate plain gold
ring The fat hands of the other man were
quite as profusely decorated, and he wore
plain silver bangle on his left
H.
spectacle of these two gorgeously bedecked
and bejeweled club men drew attention To
the fact that the wearing OF many finger rings
has suddenly become very popular in New
York. A jeweler who was subsequently,
spoken to about the matter said:
Ten men buy rings now where one
bought them year ago. and they are nearly
all Of the glove ring pattern-that is, the
stone is not set up from the RUG. as is the
case with solitaire diamond rings which
ladies wear, but il is set in gold on a level
with the surface of the ring, so he can draw
on his gloves without removing his ring.
The fashion came, as all such fashions do,
from across the water. The French dandies
are in the habit of wearing all sorts Of rings,
the majority Of them being souvenirs from
some of their romance escapadcs. The fash
ion spread to England. where il houffshed
two or three years ago. 1t is 10 longer con
sidered proper on the other side for men to
wear a number Of rings unless they are ut
terly valueless. / have seen men who were
undoubtedly entitled to leading position on
the other side who wore FIVE or six rings, the
total value Of which would not have exceeded
fifteen dollars. One would, perhaps, be a
small shell ring, bought for a smiling at
some seaside resort, kept to commemorate
thing like that; another would be
plain and narrow band of god twisted
from a bangle in a ball room; third a little
circlet from = child, niece or sister, and SO
on throughout. That sort of thing never
looked vulgar on the other side, but over
here it is likely TO arrive at great proportions,
and the richer the man the more rings be
wears"
'What about the masculine bangle!' 81
81 believe the Duke OF Beaufort started the
fashion years ago, and it has been eontin-
ued by a number OF American actors, dudes
and fools. 1t is Of all Alterations the most
effemlnate. ] am glad TO say we have only
had three men who desired that sort OF orna-
mentation. The bangle is nearly always of
silver, and without embellishment. Two
men who recently departed 10 different aud
remote quarters Of the world, came in not
long ago aud had bracelets riveted On their
left wrists. They don't expect tomeet again
for years, so they INDUCED in this little bit
of romance. That was the solidest reason
ever heard Of for the masculine bangle, and
that wasn't very solid, either, when you come
TO look 1t squarely in the eye"