The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-02-22
MANS CRAZE FOR JEwELRY.
Bracelets, Gold Shoestring Tips and
other Queer Fads That Have
Come from England.

Men OF the KIND who wear Slnglt
Eyeglasses and are recorded in the
society papers as leaders are begin
ming to deck themselves with jewelry
in gorgeous way that would put a
Barbary pirate to shame. Not content
with rings, watch chains and ornate
scarf pins, some of these pretty dears
adorn themselves further with brace
let's, jeweled buttons, gold and enamel
buckles, anklets and golden ends to
their shoe laces.
As far as can be discovered, says the
Manufacturing Jeweler, none of these
young men has yet gone to the length
of the English, who are credited by the
London Daily News with wearing
jeweled snakes and golden circlets
around their waists, arms and legs I'M
der their clothing, but they seem to
have gone as far as they could without
exciting notice.
One Maiden lane jeweler some time
: ago received an experimental order for
complete set of trousers buttons
which were to be made of gold and dec
grated with opals and enamel.
Since then the same jeweler says he
has received orders for eight other
sets, like the first, except that the new
orders included specifications for a
gold hook to fasten the waistband.
All of the orders came from the same
young man, but the jeweler declined
to say who he was.
"There is no doubt that the custom
Of wearing jewelry of kind that was
once considered exclusively feminine
is spreading among men. Even brace
lets are becoming common"
Nowadays one needs but to look at
the window display of fashionable
jeweler to see that the days of a sc.
we're taste have passed away. A plain
silver match box or an equally plain
cigarette case used to be considered
all that good taste permitted. The
man who carried a gold match box or
a jeweled cigarette case was regarded
as hopeless snob. The man who wore
more than one diamond was pitied,
and the person who made display OF
his jewelry was ranged as cad.
To-day, even in the - elusive society
of England, those plain ways are out
of date. The man who does not have
a jeweled monogram on his cigarette
or cigar case is an exception. Young
men who saw only one heavy gold
signet riog on their fathers hand now
wear at least three rings on each hand,
and not unusually have an extra ring
on the thumb.
Look in any goldsmith's window and
see how many things made of or orna.
mented with gold and jewels you can
see that are intended for the use of a
nan. A partial list gives rings, watch.
es. watch chains, charms, scarfpins, tie
clips, vest buttons, waist buckles, cuff
links, studs, suspender buckles. tooth.
picks, boxes, cigar holders pipes, cigar.
cite boxes, cigarette holders, match
boxes, knives, pencil eases, nail trim
mers, razors, strops, shaving brushes
manicure sets. brushes, combs, key
chains, key rings, note books. pens
stamp boxes, lockets, gold fittings for
hose supporters. shoe buttons, seals
silk shoe laces with gold ends, button
hooks, card cases and glove buttons.
With one or two exceptions the ar
ticles contained in that list do not nee.
essarily stand for effeminacy, but fol
luxury and love of display. Moreover
in the foregoing list no notice has beer
taken of the hundred and one trifies
which men use that are now lavishly
decorated. Everything that will beal
1t is trimmed with either silver or gold
Bracelets and other strange masculine
ornaments have also been omitted.