The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-25
FASHIONS IN PERFUMES.
.,opr SCENTS UsED BT MORE WOMEN
IMAM EYER BEFORE

nav Flowers Are Despoilsd OF Their
s..r,-Largs Sums Spent for Perfumery.
y.,htons change in perfumes as In every.
,,as else. Violet is the only scent which holds
'arn year in and year out, and to-day Il Is
", most popular perfume on the market.
.n,,o ia n diversity Of opinion about the use OF
.snmes. Some people cay that tho use OF
, sort Of scent Ia bad form others declare
~, a delicate fragrance emanating from the
,.,h,np denotes daintiness In women.
STo bc in good odor signifies moral purity
, .- these people. "and so why should not a
.a,r sweet fragrance mean personal purity p''
g mt 81 answer those holding an opposite
law Socrates was a pretty wise man. and his
,,,,hInrs ft the modern world as well az they
"A his own and he ~disapproved Of perfumes.
"a sad: There Ia the Same smell In a slave
"a, gentleman when both are perfumed.'"
An the same perfumes were never richer.
..,uer. more deliberately putup. more delicate
y, more fashionable than they are to-day. and
,1uons OF dollars arc expended for them
..,,ly. As civilization advances women learn
.r IN apply scents more artistically than they
IA Auring the rcign Of Elizabeth. for instance.
han the extensive and free use OF perfumes
rrs rise to much s~atirical comment by the au-
aors Of the day. Nowadays the idea Is to apply
,,rnt BY means OF perfumed baths or the APP
,,,.l 40 dalntily that on perceiving It ono
,,.hss that II were a mite stronger. There are
,.,rle who have not adopted this plan, how
"a, and cling to the notion that II a little Is
,d a lot Is better. When asked about the
,r..snt fashion in perfumes and how they are
p ,de. an authority said:
when you speak Of perfume the mind Of
N. average person turns either to a bottle OF
slocne Of a variety familiar in youth. or TO a
ht,e Of violet extract or toilet water. Few
Ne perfumery business has grown, not even
NJ very wealthy women who buy a thousand
N more dollars worth Of perfumes a year I'M
bprstand It. When we spoke Of perfume two
s~anerations ago we meant a small or a large
little Of German cologne generally. but when
r. speak OF perfumes to-day We mean sweet
,,,racts for the handkerchief, toilet waters for
ne bath, powders and creams and lotions for
M face, tablets for the breath. pastiles for
renting a room. essences to be burned in
r,iume lamps and pleasing scents in a hun
bed and one other forms.
Violet perfumes are undoubtedly the most
~rrular, which. 1 suppose. makes that odor the
rnst fashionable. but / am almost ashamed to
~ that the most fashionable people prefer
rne OF the stronger animal odors. 1t is a
fashion Of the present day for people to say
hat they do not like musk. but confdentially
he public taste for musk is ~stupendous. Those
r~bstances containing it always gain the pref
l,Nnce in a sale so long as one assures
IBIS customer that there Is no musk in
H. But you asked how perfumes are
made. Very little perfumery is made in
IBIS country comparatively. and much of
hat is made from pomades imported
rom France In tin ans or boxes. Synthetic
PERFUMES. however. are getting to be very pop
var. and are Just as good as those made from.
omade, though we can't always count on what
~Aemicas will do. and sometimes. instead OF
nttinG a sweet odor. one is produced which
nyors strongly OF Barren Island.
The origin OF perfumery Pliny traces to the
last, and from the most ancient times flowers
lave been raised for their perfumes. Perfumes
however. There are also employed materials
~ animal origin, such as ambergris. O sub
stance found in the sea floating near the island
"a he coasts Of America, Brazil. China. Japan.
lrd Coromandel: castor. a secretion Of the
|astor beaver; civet, a substance obtained from
H. S,, ciye5. cat: and musk, which is AIKEN
mes in a cold or hot climate. but those
p,Ting in 2 warn latitude are most prolific
Il 4 th tbe 9 s62,b Tbs r. F being SO, it i natural
arden spot Of the world for the manuiactur-
n ot perfumes. Grasse. Cannes and Nice are
W principal scenes of their operations, for
Iate admirably, suited TO perfecting plants
br the trade, The finest lavender in the world
7 crown at Mitcham. In, England. and brings
md is fully worth the difference FORTS rare deli.
ay OF odor: but In almost everything else save
kppermint the, south Of Europe is superior.
alte Of this artistic business. flower growing.
20 employed annually 10000 pounds OF
II S1So f noy e 1000 pounds 81 81 cassie NGn flowers;
esnine blossoms. 10000 pounds of ~vfolets, and
sO pounds Of tube roses. besides other od6r-
Es plants. Since then the business in wet and
y Perfumes has increased tenfold. and, !
mud like to know Just how much material
a.; firm used this year"
How are the odors extracted from the
Volumes could be written on this subject"
Tines should hold a. deep interest for the
a.pist and philosopher as well as the prac-
teen seeking to find how far different odors
~ upon the human intellect, 1t would take
y much time and space to tell just how per:
rst IN their business. According to a great
terch authority the operation is divided
NO four distinct operations-expression. dis
f Fs"G is mSserat ndoa and abs9rption; ExpreSse
asA't j. exceedingly prolific in its so ESSEN ene
+: By GH Rscs hnS n fores. fb5nfRiilK Pasf naeds n it
nnaanation. but maceration does. Pomades,
%9 which perfumes are made. are obtained
d Sts o sSss, 6Txod 2T1t 1T r q purified daG beef
~ scIean vessei and is melted by steam heat:
We IoEers required for the odor desired are
ItsISliGy picked and while perfectly fresh are
RsH for from twelve to iorty-eight hours.
~ lat draws the odor. out and. becomes
rIirMy perfumed. The fat is strained from the
rIdI WHY blossoms and fresh flowers, are
tsSG from ten to twenty times over till the
Smsa, Perfumed oils are made in the
va way. but olive oil is used instead Of
~ " all the processes for securing
H. pefiumes Of flowers absorption is. the
M N,,nm important. for this method yields
y SsE al those fine French pomades and oils
n ngnly and. daintily perfumed. No people
l ~ this operation. as the French do.
~ mowers, have such delicate and elusive
tSSar mat the heat required in, maceration
5 NJ thls process is carried on cold so as to
TT,ate that, Square frames, 3 inches deep. 9
nTr,aSdHd = long; with a glass bottom, are re-
lSusa over the glass q layer OF fat is spread.
|rS I nysr q ih an inch thick with a plaster knife;
ESs,eeI 20 remain from twelve to seyenty-two
NV. ne animal odors are only used in com
IN. u,ya1 an WIN other, scents. and. even to the
i sp M nWsetlhg ones. give permanence to them.
Iyyai'y much esteemed.
lou ask about the changing styles In per-
M" ana the whims OF women with refer
/ = ~ mem. hight here let me go on record