The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-06
MILITARY GTRDLE.
Made OF Buttons from soldiers Uniforms
Peacock and Cameo Belts.

Made OF Buttons from soldiers Uniforms
Peacock and Cameo Belts.
II you want TO proclaim yourself as be-
longing 10 the army and navy set"
and therefore in a very gay social swim.
you must wear a military belt which Is
not as its name might indicate pom
derous leather and gold affair. patterned
after the kind belonging to soldiers uni
forms. II is indeed. the product of much
devastation of those uniforms. but the
articles plundered are not the belts, but
the buttons.
Every fair damsel who has military
friends smiles upon one after another
until she has persuaded each to mutt
late his regimentals in order TO bestow
upon her the one favor which she asks
above all others, pretty brass button
from the front OF his coat. In vain ne
offers to bring her one the next time he
sees her; she Will have none OF his prom
ises. but will snip the button off her
self before he escapes her. In rare cases.
an officer gets of by promising
TO bring her half dozen or
so. for OF course that would
lessen her labor and shorten the time
before the necessary materials for the
belt were collected. Having obtained a
couple Of dozen OF these buttons. she
HES her TO a jeweer. who fastens tiny
links 10 the edges Of the buttons and
connects them with chains until sufficient
girth is reached to encircle her presum-
ably slender waist. a diamond shaped
buckle is then formed OF the rest Of
the buttons. and the belt Is complete
unless there should happen to be a few
of the military souvenirs left in which
case they may be used for a chatelaine.
The belt next in favor is designed TO
represent a circle of peacock feathers.
The feather part is dark, ozydized silver,
and the "eyes" are made OF n purple
enamel that glitters ike amethyst. Such
q girdle costs twenty-five dollars but 1t
is a great favorite with the swagger New
Yorker, Notwithstanding the superstition
that peacock feathers are the plumage OF
III omen.
In general, belts average about two
inches wide. and the newest ones are
made Of a succession of round or square
pieces linked together over an inner belt
of silk-usualy grey. to match the silver.
This Introduction OF a silk lining into
the composition of a metal belt is a new
inea designed to protect the dress from the
constant friction of sharp, or, at least
hard points with delicate material.
Another innovation has the same mer-
its to recommend it as certain we'll
known health corset which has been on
the market for many years. 1t is the
belt with a spiral wire arrangement that
stretches in accordance with free breath
ing and reasonable exercise.
Young women who contemplate a sum-
mer by the sea should either avoid the
cut steel belt or else ask for the kind that
is warranted not TO tarnish at the sea-
shore. as there is a new variety now on
the market which has this guaranty.
Ingenuity in the arrangement Of imita-
ton jewels has been taxed to the utter
most in the making of belts. and the de-
spairing designer has turned his atten-
ito n to imitation canoes. Mercury.
Phyche. Venus. Juno and all sorts Of
NEUROLOGICAL characters are linked to-
oethcr I'm unclasscal disregard Of rela-
tions or affnities but they make beauti-
tui belt and are affected by the damsel
whose pose is Grecian wherever possible.