The times., 1898-09-04


withal we shall be protected against the
sharp white teeth of the first autumnal
frost. As long ago as April we sang a
requiem over, recalled the good works
and virtues of, and tenderly buried, the
cape, and 10 and behold il is swinging
just as jauntily as you please from the
shoulders of women whose taste is above
suspicion There is no getting about the
fact that women like the cape and have
of their own win resuscitated it, but a
more bungling, aimless sort of a garment
was never seen, unless one admit the
strait-jacket.
If you are going on a September vaca-
ton TO the mountains 10 see the leaves
turn, or you have been asked to coach
through some particularly nice bit of
country, you can't pretend to be decently
equipped unless you do carry cape But
not your comfortapIc old golf cape. The
smart thing to do is to buy big imported
Scotch blanket, fringed at both ends and
one side woven in bright plaid streaks.
You take this TO your tailor and have hini
cut ii up and sew it down into a wrap
that hugs your shoulders and pins your
arms tight 10 your sides. X must have a
tail, stiff, fringed collar, and reaching to
the waist line flow about the hips in an
excessively ugly ruffied tail oyerhung
with fringe. Big steel or pearl buttons
and frlnSed revers stolidly ornament the
front, and there you have a travesty on
the golf cape of noble memory. BY maxi
ing the body of the wrap with the plain
side of the blanket turned out, and cut
ting hip ruffle. collar and revers from the
a1lfa - IL
this Injury in cut; therefore, if the cape
is not dead to usefulness, it surely is
dead 10 all sense of beauty.
A far more optimistic tone can be taken
about the melton and beaver cloth canes.
elaboTately stitched and strapped, that
are striving for the grace OF recognition
alongside the bold, bad blanket wraps
These. like the new skirts are cut TO do
away with all fullness, and they take the
shoulders without a wrinkle Just as the
good skirts inclose a wearer's hips. In
beautiful radiant shades of red carbon,
brown, and biscuit color, most of these
capes come, and they sweep down from
Zen to twenty-five inches below the waist
line. They show a conspicuous seam
through the center of the back, another
on either shoulder, for by straps and
puckered stitchings these junction lines
are turned into broad ornamentation- A
collar, fairly gothic in proportions, turns
up about the neck, and down the fronts
run two double boX-pleated ruches of
silk, satin, or velvet. Any of these three
materials is employed for the lining, with
in which a most gratifying array of pock-
cts is placed by the eonsiderate tailor.
Later along in the season capes such
as these will oe put forth with Innings
Of cat, squirrel, coon and rabbit skin;
for, now that the duty on furs is so
high, cloth wraps, lined with skins
procured in the States, will be the refuge
OF the economical. Tailors and furriers
are going TO make the experiment of lin
ing cloth coats with these light and in
expensive skins. and in the use of them
follows an eccentric Paris fashion. Over
in that city of whims they have learned
TO dye cheap furs the most lovely shades
of red, green, blue, lilac, purple and yel-
low, which fashion promises to create
an autumn sensation.
Over in Paris also the tale-bearers tell
us they are making the most adorable
short velvet coats and encrusting them
in jewel beads. That is, beads made to
resemble jewels. Combining the coIors of
these in Indian, Persian and floral pat
terms on velvet; sinking the sparkling bits
of glass deep in the pile and bringing out
the high lights with steel and gold beads,
they get a result that is nothing short OF
magnificent.
Not a word can yet be truthfully said
about fur wraps, but cloth coats are
being taken very seriously, and the law
concerning their shape and ornamental
tion can be safely proclaimed. All the
familiar weaves of cloth, from the
doughty beaver to satin-faced melton,
that is as soft as a peachs skin and well
night as fragile, are on the market and
the coIors show not even a strange shad-
ing.
There are long, loose coats and short,
tight coats. but mighty few belted in with
pendant fronts. Evidently we have got
over that epidemic. In its place We have
adopted the most conspicuous reyer, or
series Of revers. Over the bust of black,
brown or gray cloth coat two wide leaf
shaped pieces turn, faced with satin Of a
gay tone, overspread with ruched chiffon,
or glowing with Oriental revelations in
bead work on velvet Some coats turn
back a series of square detached revers
wide under the chin, with a couple of
smaller ones below. The revers may or
may not extend from a vest, and slim
women may enjoy the small multiplied
revers, as many as five, folding one over
the other at either side.
An odd feature of the dress coat as
differentiating from the severely simple
street jacket, is its sleeve Il fulls a lit
tie on the Snoulder and Is cut long over
the hand. Often enough its collar is a
close crushed band of satin, with a rear
ruff of ostrich tips and most becoming
IS this last conceit Dress coats also are
allowed great latitude in the matter of
buttons. A few fine ornamental fellows
are considered in good taste for bringing
out the points in such wraps, and the
belts for such coats, when they are used,
are folds Of satin joining in a small COM
pact rosette to the left-hand side
Street morning coats depend for their
chaste beauty on straps and stitches. A
handsome Chesterfield falls nearly to the
knees, or a Kaiserin is Topped off close
about the hips. Either choice is permit
ted. A few long coats have fitted fronts,
but square, full backs caught in under
a broad strap that reaches just to the
under arm seam at either side. Fly fronts
strapped seams and the pockets applied to
the outside. turnover cuffs and fiat col
lars are all distinguishing marks of the
smart morning coat.
Melton, heavy Vienna, Viennese and
rough Scotch moor cloth are the mater
falls of which the walking coats are
made For coldest weather is shown
q goods called felt cloth, that is so sturdy
Of weave IL makes up without a lining
and its revers will turn back in many in
stances, from vests of fur.
Here and there the official autumn
novelties are seen. Four-button walk
ing gloves. of heavy dressed kid, that
however, boast no glaze, colored slate
gray, and leaf brown, and relieved by
the broadest of deep cream silk stitch
ings. Handsome black CANT de suede are
stitched prettily in dark green and brown