The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-22
SO AoHe:Ges.esas:e:.:ee ,e::eeo4tHaG
TIE G i':!:!!''z
WIZ TIE BAG


anxnp u
OF course, you have met her-the Cir
with the Bag
4 no escaping her.
She may have a tiny bag Of the fines'
xold wire network with jeweled top datnti
4 " dangling from long gold neckchain
IL or an antique beadwork bag resurrectet
Srom q treasure chest of years ago hung
at her side; or just q plain leather bag
swung by q chain from her wrist; or If
4 she is going a-traveling, she carries one
Of the smart new train" or railroad
bags.
But no matter what her purpose, err
4, rand or destination, bag of some sort
n or other she must display, for there Is
n no one thing that proclaims the up-to-
dateness Of Il woman moro than the bag
I she carries. The bag habit used to be
n a special characteristic of Boston, just
as once upon a time the Literary Athens
s1of America had n monopoly OF brown
bread and baked beans; but this season
The bag habit has seized on womankind
( generally, until 1t has become epidemic
throughout the country.
The follower Of the modes may not, rs
ulu SbON StuCCll AoCooI AiA w q uAAhSA CAV
I, gown for every day In the year, but she
certainly has bag for every occasion
n One almost requires special catalogue
MS n guide to tho innumerablo kinds of
Il bags. Every season brings something
new in reticules for women to carry, but
4 this spring they have reached high-water
mark. The fashionable woman's cry Is
always novelty and the effort to an
swcr that demand keeps manufacturers
n DIV b,,cS
dispense with pockets with all the law
tish assortment Of bags now devised for
their convenience There Is, for instance,
the time honored
CHATELAINE BAG.
The bag habit really began with tho
chatelaine purse. Everybody remembers
what a run there was on chatelaine bags
some years back. But with the progress
of time, the chatelaine bag has taken on
new graces. New materials. news shapes,
new mountings give 1t variety and beau
ty. Handsome feathers Of many kinds,
gold. silver, copper and gun-metal. chain
mesh, tapestries. silks. velvets. beading,
all figure in the evolution of the artistic
side bag.
1t used to be that the chatelalne bag
reigned In undisputed popularity, but Of
recent season 1t has q rival In the
WRIST BAG.
Almost every girl you meet nowadays
carries some sort of n bag dangling from
chain. Indeed the wrist bag has a
vogue which even tho chatelalne bag In
its halcyon days did not enjoy. The
smart wrist bags OF the moment come In
the finest skins known to the leather
goods. Lizard, Morocco. seal. walrus.
calf, elephant and suede are used, and
the mountings are handsome In silver,
cl nj D1In oil N, n
times elaborntely jeweled with simulated
,turquoises. amethysts, topazes, opals and
coral. There Is tho demure little wrist
bag In black walrus or suede with per-
fectly plain mountings Of silver or gilt,
which swings from the wrist of tho busl-
ness girl. Then there are very elegant
bags in gem encrusted and seQuin-strewn
lpale-hued suede, In antique bead-work.
Persian tapestries. Japanese brocades, and
gold and silver mesh, just to look at
which calls up visions of teas and recep-
lions Extravaganza runs riot In the
new wrist bags and you arc learning not
to be surprised at tho prices which mount
up we'll into the hundreds. One hun
dred dollars for a diminutlve bag Of deli
cate gray suede with plain Gilt mounting
and without any jewels impresses you
as rather dear, until the gilt turns out to
10 solid gold, Tho woman who can't az
ford to put $500 in little gold and bril-
lIantly gemmed bag to dangle from her
wrist. can fall back on the bags OF
French gilt mesh with tops cncrusted
with simulated gems The newest OF
these bags are oblong and have n row OF
tiny gold balls or amethyst. topaz, tur-
qnoise or coral drops dangling fanclfully
from the bottom. tho clasp being jewel
c1 to correspond.
But the bag of bags and the most pre-
gieal!ous OF all just at present Is tho
OPERA BAG.
Designed especially for scenes OF fes-
.tivity. il is splendid to behold In the gay
l'ompadours and Persian silks and tho
cleaning brocadcs our grandmothers do
lighted in; In heavy lustrous molrss OF
delicate tints and pale-hued leather all
.A-shimmer with cut steel and se1uns and
clasps richly gcmmed, or most resplendent
OF all In cloth-of-gold or cloth-of- silver,
"A cloth-of-god bag has a top and clasp
FORMED of two serDents with brilliant
emerald set In the head OF each The
Herpents are of ruddy gold and their
bodies arc delicately chiseled and appear
actually to writhe around the top and
sides Of the glittering reticule, Not ev-
cry woman can afford bag like that,
but II you happen 10 BIO one OF the less
wealthy sisterhood that can't just save
! half-yard OF silk Off your post Easter
narty frock and make reticule In real
Observation-Disclosures style. and Il will serve
kulIy as fashlonably, II not quite 80 ex-
hsyagantly for theatre bag as the
gorgeous clotll-Of-gold affair
Bags for various purposes are FASH
nsnah1H evolved from handsome silks aud