Evening star., 1899-03-04
The Latest Things in Purses, Gard
Cases and Buckles.
LEATHER FINISHED IN ALL FINTS
Belts Are Narrow and Soft, but Can
Be Worn Any Way.
COLLAR CLASPS IN ENAMEL
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star

special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK. March 2, 1899.
About this time of year the faithful
purses and pocket books, which have been
| carried in ones hands for about a year.
| usually stuffed to twice their normal capac-
| ity, begin to grow shabby and worn from
| their hard life. Then must their owners
| look about for new ones and go through
| that unpleasant process of adapting them
selves to differently placed recesses for
change, bills and cards
| The new pocket books which wear the
soft colors of approaching spring vary lit
| tie in shape from those of yore. Exag-
geratedly large purses or card cases and
pocket books combined are not now seen
| but the slightly more obIong than square
purse, with silver or gold corners, which
| folds together. is now, as for some time
| past. the one most apt to be chosen from a
| large assortment. The most convenient
safest and easiest purse to handle is one
| with flap which slips into it, about the
| shape of an envelope, only the flap goes
| inside instead of going over To pull this
| flap out and open the purse there is small
| piece of projecting leather. No woman who
| once adopts this receptacle for almost
| everything she carries about with her will
ever change for any other shape 1t comes
| in various sizes. and it is best to only get
| 1T large enough to fit your cards. For the
l purse AneI IL Is square ana
| likely to be corpulent by the time ones
keys and handkerchief have been added to
| its lawful contents the less hard 1t will be
to grasp.
TO Match the Costume.
There is a new and very smooth leather,
which is finished in gray, pale green. laveu-
der. with a changeable sheen which re-
| minds one of changeable silks. This is the
| very newest material for pocket books and
card cases. The corners are usually fin
iShed to shade off the same tint. For in
stance. in the pale green the gold corners
have coppery green cast to them, which
is very artistic. Imported alligator, which
is much smoother than ours. comes in a
soft and beautiful shade of gray. 1t is
quite the most beautiful leather on the mar
ket today, and is used for ohatelaine bags
and belts, as we'll as for purses or rather for
pocket book. The two terms are not inter-
changeable to me. When 1 hear a woman
call the gorged leather receptacle over
which she can scarcely clasp her fingers a
purse, l feel that polite usage should once
in while consult the dictionary before
making up its all too limited vocabulary.
The Mexican carved leather is a novelty
which holds its own. No other material
| wears well. Even the durable monkey
and the faithful seal are worn to shreds
when this leather is just acquiring a rich
ness and finish from constant usage which
make it a possession worth having.
The corners of the pocket books are par
ticularly gorgeous. They are not very
large, and it requires more than casual
glance to appreciate the fine work upon
| them. There is an old process revived of
putting gold on silver, which is most unique.
The two metals shade into each other until
one cannot tell where one ends and the
other begins. Exquisitely engraved little
silver heads have the gold applied TO them,
and the effect is that of old coins of CEN
turies ago. Except that a pocket book
wears better which has its corners protect
ed, and that Dame Fashion DEGREES that 1t
shall be ornamented, this union of lea.h-
er and metal has always seemed somewhat
bizarre.
Monkey Skin to shop In.
There is new shopping bag made of
monkey skin in various attractive shades,
notably in a changeable green which shades
off into gray. This bag is lined with green
silk of the same shade, and has three little
pockets inside In one is a small purse of
same leather, in another one of the new
card cases, also matching in material. and
in the third small cut glass vinaigrette.
Bags have come into favor again, and this
one is especially convenient
The new card cases which / just men
toned look little like spectacle cases ex-
cept that they are not long enough, they
are just wide enough and long enough to
hold the cards and double over at the top
just as spectacle case does They are
very useful, for they take UP little room,
but are not especially attractive in shape.
Fancy and Other Buckles.
Belts are almost endless subject, in
spite of the fact that the new gowns do
not, a rule, require them. They are
very narrow and very gorgeous. The mar
rover they grow the more ornately are
they trimmed. Tinsel belts with a pattern
of flowers in different shades or rather in
natural shades, running through tkem and
fancy buckles which are set with stones of
the same color are among the novelties A
green tinsel belt, with rose pattern run
ming about it, and buckle set with itnita-
ton emeraids, is among the handsome de-
signs.
The cut jet belts are still much in evil
dence. but are not as popular as those of |
soft ribbon finished with large gold or |
silver buckle. When these plaid or fancy |
ribbon belts first appeared they had two |
small buckles which elasped, making the |
belt quite wide In the back, as the ribbon |
was always wide, and quite narrow in |
front The latest buckle for these belts is |
larger and the clasp which holds the belt |
together is not visible. An end of the rib
bon comes through the new buckle and Is |
simply hemmed. This makes 1t easier to |
conceal the belt of the dress skirt The
new belt buckles are simply beautiful SIl-
ver gilt, rhinestone of most dazzling de-
signs, and gold. red gold, 1t is called II |
looks like the copper of our childish fairy
tales, which used to turn out to be gold
when the good princess touched 1t.
Leather and Ribbon Belts.
There are ribbon and silk belts with eilt