Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-16
THE NECESSARY BELT
REGARDED AS AN ESSENTIAL OF
SUMMER DRESS.
Different Styles Designed to Meet the
Established Dress Occasions
Shoes to Match.
From the Hal,erdasher.

rr'ni tne fisberuasher.
With the opening OF the first belt lines to
be shown. the market is found to be in that
very desirable condition which generally
exists where there is no question of style
ascendancy to be decided. There is practi-
cally nothing to compete with the belt and
II will hold the entire field. dividing nothing
on account either OF suspenders sashes.
for with the former a belt is always worn
in summer and in the case Of the latter
there are no sashes in sight and no attempt
has been made to Introduce one. In the
new lines that have been completed there is
a very noticeable increase in the number
of buckle styles shown and on the other
hand decrease In the number of styles of
belts. Buckles of the fancy variety have
been dropped and we find in Their place
various forms of the sturdy mannish brace
or harness buckle. These come in the fat
round. square and beveled edge forms in
the ordinary trace shape, and In the square
shape and in the newer elongated oval
shape. There are other variations, but they
come under the head of fancy buckles and
are merely shown to see if they will sell.
The chances are that they will not and that
nothing fancy. peculiar or outre in belt
buckle or skin will sell during the coming
season.
One Of the most noticeable developments
In the new belt lines Is the tendency to put
different styles of belts in classes designed
to meet the established dress occasions or
necessities. There are belts for dress. for
outing, for ordinary town wear, for yacht
ing and even for the various kinds OF suits
Much Of the popularity of the belt. and in
this distribution of styles is due TO the very
great favor in which the two-piece or
waistcoatless suit is held.
The shoe question has some bearing upon
the belt question. 1t is an accepted prin-
ciple of summer dress that the belt should
match the shoe. When tan shoes are worn.
tan belt should be worn. when black
shoes are worn, black belt should be
worn, with patent leather shoes recommend
the patent leather belts, and with white
canvas or suede shoes recommend the white
belt We can even go farther than this
this year. as We have new belt designed
to go with the two-piece bathing suit.
In belt widths the standard this year will
undoubtedly be one inch. This is the natu-
raj belt width and will be shown principally
in the solid belt, which is by all odds the
favorite. good example Is a belt made
of cowhide or bride leather one inch wide
with round holes punched in, and the only
stitching being by harness hand about
the buckle The buckle is an elongated
trace buckle finished in gilt. Another good
belt is made of pigskin with a sheet silver
trace buckle. This is dull coin silver fin
ish. The belts are made double and are
stitched with yellow thread.
Among the new finishes for buckles Is the
statuary bronze. This is a rich seal brown
tone showing various depths OF color An
Otner new 0nlSn Is the coin SILVER, WHICH 10
a dead rich silver that can be polished. and
that will not tarnish.
Rein belts are shown without rings. They
are made in pieces in such a way that they
are practically solid belts. This admits of
the use of skins that cannot be employed
in the solid belts. They come In the tans
and blacks, one of the latter styles showing
a gun metal buckle.
In morocco and in calf there are broad
belts. that is, one and a half inches wide.
These are shown to meet regular demand
and are not cassed with the fashionable
styles. In the fancy feathers, browns pre-
dominate. there being a feeling that the
browns and tans and the pigskins will sell
better this summer than they did last year.
Very few ring belts are shown-in fact,
these are not given any place in fine lines
of consequence. The three-quarter-inch
and other very narrow belts which enjoyed
a vogue last year are not to be found in
this years showing. very new belt is
made of seal lined with white calf. the seal
being in a powder grain, which is a very
fine notified grain. Soft calls have been
brought out in light and dark olives and in
blacks, oak and cravan tans and the saddle
tan.
The new bathing belts are made of cotton
web and are two inches wide. They have
nickel clasps buckles which are both re-
movable and adjustable.