The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-22
|vEEL CLAD BELTS The THING.
L,nF or DYED LEATHER AND
uFID BY GREAT BUCKLES.

urckIes The Buckle an Impressive
r.oture OF the Seasons New Belts.
.ost amount Of art and ingenuity has
Iayished upon the belts and girdles
3. sesson, and the results justify the eff
=. for NOT in many a day have the belts
.or 40 attractive or 80 tempting.
c~,cc,mbing to temptation in the matter
, ,hts little costume detail means in many
.,os SERIOUS inroads upon ones purse;
: "a ia usually the case, delightful effects
.n,v high prices, and though the simple
III i,oypensivc leather belt is still with
tho models that are likely to tempt a
toman TO coNe'"usnes9 Nv NV Vi Nv 'inpi'
The most strik ing thing about the belt
ssnlay this spring is the prominence OF
tesl in the general scheme. Fully three
IN, NJ five Of the handsomest belts are
aortieed with steel and steel beads, or
iIlettes are used upon tho girdles Of silk
I veil as upon those of leather.
Wide girdles Of silk elastic which, In
IL ck and white, were shown here at Christ
N,os time are now offered in all the modish
n ,des. The corded silk elastic has the
hEAc, Of highly lustrous corded ribbon,
nd takes the cclors beautifully.
large rat buckles hold the girdle to its
HI width in the back, but the front buckle
!. usually much smaller. The firm elastic
"Ioplds Itself to the figure and the buckles
70 slightly curved to fit the waist curve,
In the new ecrevisse, cerise and brilliant
Ia1 tones this belt is particularly attrac-
ye, and in the grays and dull yellow or
Ian coIorings It is wen more chic.
The belt par excellence Of the season is
Inc Paauin belt; but it has not yet reached
Inc shors. though later it will, Of course,
be copied In inexpensive form. As launched
ky the great man this belt is anything but
InexpensIve, running in price from 100
Irancs to 400 francs; but a large majority
h the Pauuin street. frocks have this detail.
Ind when one is buying a Paquin frock
few hundred francs more or less does
bot make much difference,
The modish belt as turned out at the
Mason Paquin is very wide and made of
Joft leather which will adjus. itself per-
1ectly to the figure with the wrinkled
@Dnugness Of a ~mous1uetaire glove. Every
fashionable color ia represented in this
leather, the material Of the belt being
lived to match the color scheme Of the
1rock with which it is used, and the dyer's
lrt has reached such perfection that leather
d handled quite as successfully as cloth or
kN.
At the back Of the FaQIin belt and in tho
Ntrn' are large buckles, 50 adjusted that
Nkhpv shape the Girdle gracefully, and these
lckles are studded with semi precious
%rones in a fashion styled d Ia Eussc. The
Beauty of tho Jewel work and the leather
Nmhinei with the excellent shane of tho
'rniel make this belt a most individual
v0S Of art, and even when the general
lea becomes common the belt, as made
the originator, will he a thing apart.
Wide crush belts of leather are not ack-
BIZ in the shop display even now, but
h'ugh many have buckles studded with
3eb0chon stones, none is like the model
rim the famous Paris house.
The beauty Of the buckles is an impress
tre feature Of the new belts, and. as has
tsn said before. steel plays an import
be, tart in the making Of these buckles.
!aer ia a pronounced liking for large
hcies covered with leather like that used
r The holt and adorned with steel, and
ryst cleverness is shown in the designing
!these BUCKLES, tho ons>usod at the hack
bnG almost invariably long enough to hold
b teIt ont t" deep girdle width.
50 soft and pliablo ia the leather used
hlt it can he plated and shirred as if il
rere silk, and frequently the buckle takes
he form Of a shield shaped slide, through
Fhch The wide leather is apparently drawn
; full folds shirred closely together. Asa
ale this fulness is alto yether separate from
be belt proper, being made in one with the
f1cSle, but the effect produced Is of an
nomonslv wide soft belt drawn through
W continuing buckle,
Belts Of the same general design, but with
PICKLES Of tortoise shell, are very modish
nd others whose leather covered buckles
Ire embroidered in gold and silver beads or
beads Of colors harmonizing with the
fnade Of the leather are selling rapidly, in
pite Of their high price. These last men,
nned belts are offered chiefly in the light
Eastel shades of blue, rose, lavender, &C.,
md the beading is usually done in shades
y the foundation color or in many har-
nonious pastel tints, with touches Of dull
nd, silver or steel.
The beading idea is less charmingly de-
eoped in buckles entirely covered with
'ad work Of the sort used in bag making,
Nd dull old fashioned floral designs in
hded colors on a ground Of tiny crystal
eads are perhaps the most attractive Of
lthese bead buckles. Entire belts, narrow
Va straight, are made Of bead embroidery;
W. though the work is intrinsically beauti-
w. the belt is too thick and clumsy to be as
hmessful as ara Of soft leather or silk.
Artistic buckles, having the look Of hand
thought silver, are made in the dull satiny
1shed silver which IS now 30 fashionable,
connection with semi-preoious stones,
ID these silver buckles are often enriched
topaz, chrysoprase, Jade, coral, DC,
~ some Of the smartsst designs are not
sSeNed and rely upon the working Of the
ovef for their beauty.
Ooral Ia a conspicuous feature OF the new
: belt buckles, and is especially lovely
Hen used with the FURNISHED gray silver
~ described. The craze for gray in the
tfns costumes has brought out an I'M
Cnedentod supply OF gray belts, and some
nsln are truly things Of beauty. Take,
se1ample, a wide. crush belt Of the softest
ner gray leather, with a large back buckle
- smaller front buckle Of h leather
4Uoidered in steel beads, with cut topaz
IN the steel design, or a narrower belt
0mlar leather, with buckles Of etched