Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-24
DAZZLING BUCKLES
JEWELED STUDDING ON WINTER
GIRDLEs IN HIGH FAVOR.
Old Canoes Are Put to an Up-to-Date
Usage-Wee Buckles for
Rosette Centers.

Written for The Evening Star.
The hallmark of the smart bodice or
coat, whether fur or cloth, is the buckle
which adorns 1t. The immense vogue of
rosettes. high girdles, directoire hats and
fancy shoes has brought with it an unpre-
cedented use of buckles, from the tiniest
clasp to huge plastronS of filigree and
enamel which nearly encrcle the waist.
Truly wonderful in brillancy and beauty of
design is the endless variety of this telling
finish to a woman's get-up. Cut steel and
jet buckles are in high favor, while the
white metal is delicately tinted In all the
soft shades. Metal or leather buckles are set
off by marquis stones. which show the
same color as the belt or ribbon. Rhine
stones emeraldS and rubieS are employed
in profusion as studding for miniature re-
productions of animals, and tiny chips, in
green purple, red blue and yellow sprinkle
wide band -buckles of Egyptian filigree. The
girl who is fortunate enough to have an old
cameo, large or small, cannot use it to bet
ter advantage than as the center of a
buckle showing the wing design. Mosaics
are also employed in the same way.
Wee buckles of cut steel or rhineStones
make effective centers for rosettes, and are
used extensively on collars and belts built
from narrow straps. The long, narrow
buckle especially in colonial style narrow
ing toward the bottom, is the smart shape
for wear at the waist line. Soft, clinging
house-dresses are made particularly chic by
the addition of one Of these severe buckles.
gown of lavender shows one at the mid
die of the waist line done in white metal
tinted with lavender in dull silky finish.
and a pink gown may have pink buckle
In like finish.
Peculiarly suited to the very broad metal
buckles are the popular design of Egyptian
wings or the spreading bat wings. These
curve gracefully from the middle, both
back and front, nearly encircling the waist
and are remarkably stunning in gunmetal
inlaid with an occasional tiny rhinestone
In gilt the French gray silver, the wide
armor buckles with straight band for the
back and Vclasp for the front, show heavy
carvings of flowers or fruits artiStically
intertwined. The fad of the hour is a
clasp built of six large semi-globes of cary.
ed metal joined by links and having a heavy
chain dangling from the prong. One hand
some clasp showed carved dull gold but
tons the size of half-dollar, each set off
by threes eyes of pale green stones, while
from the prong chain hung a cross built
of eight or nine large square green stones
another clasp with dangling chain Joined
the handle of two little tortoise shell fans
surrounded by Powered fiigree of French
gray silver.
A Pretty One.
In plain fiat gold buckle of colonial
shape with two prongs was set off at the
corners by marquis stones in American
beauty red. Another in silver showed sap
phires at the corners to match the royal
blue belt.
Children's heads in silver are employed
as clasps and are marvels of the silver
smiths art. In one, the features of little
girl smiling through grandmother's specta-
cles, peered from the depths of a poke bon
net. Another showed a roguish baby's face
with tousled hair.
A jeweled buckle will transform an other
wise simple dress. Peacocks have their
bodies studded with rhfnestones and the
fan-shaped tails picked out by rhinestones
and emeralds. Crab or centipede designs
are most effective. Each OF their many
legs is line of rhiuestones and the bodies
are closely studded with glittering bril-.
liants,
The horsewoman can have her gold
buckle combination of horse shoe anc
nails, and the girl who has a fancy for hel
monogram on all her possessions can have
an odd though smart buckle showing hel
initials in Chinese characters.