The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-04
THE FASHIONABLE FURS
THE FINEST REPRESENT THE COST
LEST LUxURIEs OF DRESS.
Squirrel Is the Fad of the Season, but
the Choice Is Wfde-Sty1es for
All Tastes.

many another feature of dress furs grow
more luxurious and more costly year by
year. Thousands of dollars are paid for
single garments, and there are wraps and
costumes shown which come very close TO
verify representing a kings ransom. 1t
would seem. to look over the display. that
all the world is wealthy. that poverty and
struggle are unknown; yet we all know,
in spite of the apparent profusion, that
bles, ermine and the like are obtainable by
the comparatively few only, that they real
ly belong with diamonds and fine laces and
are hopelessly out Of place in less regal
company. There has been an effort made
to revive squirrel and to make Ii fash
ionable skin. We see cloaks of the soft
gray. Jackets made of it alone and COM
bined with ermine, and we see stoles and
muffs galore, but / doubt its maintaining
Its favor nevertheless. For time the sud-
den demand will keep the price up. So long
as that is done il cannot become common;
but the skins are easily obtained, and the
very craze is certain to cause big num-
bers to be offered for sale. Whe- rat con-
dition comes about the price will inevitably
drop. and when the fur becomes cheap and
easily obtained the autocrats who deter
If, therefore, you can afford to indulge
every within and to buy furs twice or three
times during the season by all means make
haste to procure a squirrel jacket, coat or
stole with muff. but IL you aim to make
one purchase answer for an entire season
or for several turn aside from the tempta-
| ton. Let the SOFT pretty gray be set aside
and purchase seal, mink, chinchilla, fox or
Il
superb, but their cost puts them beyond the
reach of all but the few. Ermine is ex-
quisite in its proper place. but does not
| rightfully belong with any street costume
To be correct 1t should be worn in the car
riage or after dinner; at no other time.
| The squirrel coats and cloaks, Jackets
and stoles make the genuine novelty of
the season. however, and for the time are
causing quite furore. Blouses are the
favorite garments of the younger contin-
gent for street wear, whatever the fur, and
these short box coats and three-auarter
| cloaks all are shown. For the most part
the blouses are all of the one fur and are
worn with muffs and hats to match, but
the little coats sometimes show contrasting
revers and many of the longer wraps are
made with ermine collars and cuffs. In
shape these last take several forms The
paletot is favorite, but many of the
cloaks are loose. and the Chinese and Jap
anese models In cloth, fur trimmed, are
much seen. Now and again a tunic coat of
fur appears, but it is apt to be clumsy,
and the women Of America will have moth
ing to do with clumsy designs, let their
material be as splendid as it may. Squirrel
heads are used and make a unique effect,
| koV q nd Of fuHt
| character from that of the body, but, per-
| sonally, do not think them beautiful. An
entire tunic coat made from them alone is
| peculiar and has a certain distinction of it's
| own, but, TO my eye, Is strange rather than
| desirable.
SLEEVES OF THE COATS.
With all the coats the sleeves are big,
wide at the wrists, then held by cuffs after
| the manner of the gowns. Few bell shapes
are seen, although they do appear now and
then. With the tunic coats are worn girdles
of passementerie whose ends are finished
with tassels or drops Of some sort. To be
without drops. without something to bangle
as one walks, Is to declare oneself out of
| style. Somewhere, somehow, they are found
| upon all the cloaks and all the bodices.
even those of fur. Seal, lamb and broad
| tail always retain their places and are al
ways in style, as well as inherently hand
| some. Broadtail being soft and pliable
lends itself to many things. A most superb
costume is Of the fur, skirt, coat and hat
| The skirt Is plain and much fared. The
| coat is in short box style, with the new
| big sleeves, and is trimmed down each
front with heavy passementerie from which
| depend silk drops In. groups. The hat is a
| wide turban trimmed only with a plume.
| Less costly garments are in box coat,
blouse and half-ftted styles; Preferably
| or silk, below which is a snug-fitting girdle
| or basque portion. In many instances they
blouse over the belt at the back as well as
| the front, but snug backs also are seen and
| are apt to be safer on all but the most
slender Of girlish figures. Collars are of
| several sorts, and many blouses are fin
ished with none at all. Shawl and the
| simple standing shapes are favorites When
| the former are used they are often of con-
| trasting fur, as chinchilla on seal, mink on
| are exceedingly smart and have the double
| advantage of being somewhat more snug
| and natty than the others and of being
| equally effective worn open or closed.
| Carriage and evening wraps are luxuri.
| Gus in the extreme. Many of them are
| all Of fur, silk lined, but others again are
of cloth combined with fur and are mod
eled Oriental lines. Both the kialono
of japan and the mandarin coat of China
are made to os serve as asr, models; and both
| material is cloth, white or pale biscuit or
tan shades. with fur as lining or acces-
| series. Capes no longer worn to any
extent and these loose ample wraps ap-
| pear to take their places more satisfac-
toriy than any other models shown. White
| cloth with ermine or chinchilla trimmings
| Is handsome and is much in vogue Lace
| embroidery. passementerie and the inevi-
table drops appear. Oriental needlework
Is much liked and has a special fitness
| on the Oriental cloaks, but all sorts ap-
pear. Lavish trimmings is the rule Sim
plicity is lost sight OF, If not buried for.
| ever.
FOR THE YOUNG GIRLS
Short, loose coats of fur, chinchilla. err.
mine and squirrel will be worn by youns
girls as evening wraps and are assuredly
exquisite as well as warm, but the longer
models prevail. To be ideal for the pur-
pose the wrap worn en- route to the opera
| and the dance must protect the gown as
well as provide warmth for its wearer
Inasmuch as short coats leave all the skirt
exposed they do not quite fulfill the re-
quirements, but young girls find them al
Turing in spite of that fact. The smaller
minor accessories of fur are more ex.
auisitely beautiful than ever before and af-
| ford a wide range of choice Muffs are
preferably SOFT fiat and wide, drawn ur
| SO closely at the hands to give a curved
| effect. But while this is true, the round
| model of generous size Is always correct
| and will be carried by numberless smar,
| OF fine skins means thousand dollars and
| consequently, to one such hundreds of less
| costly fur will be seen. Chinchilla is al
| ways soft, tempting, caressing to the touch
and is much liked. Fox and lynx are 10 be
much used. Persian lamb. broadtail and
| .lfr,er1 hn,,