Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-02
0VERCOAT FASHIONS
ONE GARMENT FOR WHICH
$4,000 MAY BE SPENT.
Only Three or Four Varieties of
Skins Used by Well Dressed Men
Sable Most Costly.
From the New YORK sun.

r rom the New YORK sun.
A fur-lined overcoat il always luxury.
but 1t never was more so than this year,
when there has been so little severe
weather. II 1t were only for utility tina;
men bought these coats there would be lit.
tie demand for them.
Furs for men have become like rurs Tor
women. a luxury IN no way dependent on
the temperature. A man who makes an
effort to be well-dressed feels that mis-
" ardrobe is incomplete without a fur-iineo
coat. 1t there is anything to be said In ex-
cuse for such an extravaganza It is the
lasting qualities of such garment. A weii-
made fur-lined coat ought with ordinary
care to last at least ten years.
The most important question with this
kind of a coat Is naturally the fur OF which
1t is to be made. And that depends In
large measure on the amount one expects
to pay Russian sable is naturally the
most expensive of all furs. That varies
so much in price that a coat of this KIND
may cost $500 or $3.50
Astrakhan is a popular fur, but Il does
net wear well as other kinds, and the
astrakhan collars do not give the furry ef-
feet that is both becoming and comfortable
in cold weather. Then the fur is likely TO
get shiny with comparatively little wear.
A coat lined with astrakhan and furnished
With a mink or sable collar is a very be-
coming combination. There Is a beautiful
fur for collars in sea otter, which is rather
too costly TO become common
Supply of Furs.
The supply of furs from which men may
select coats is not large. Women wear
sable, mink, lynx. SEAL black and silver
fox. astrakhan, broad tail. chinchiIla, wolf
and various other furs. while the choice
of men for street wear is practically limit
ed to astralShan, seal. mink. sable or otter.
For wear in a motor, however, the man
may select from variety of peits that
were never before heard OF as Intended
for human wear. They come. moreover, ID
combina tfons and contrasts of color tnat
would delight the most barbaric taste.
The cheap fur coat is a very poor invess.
ment for anybody The shiny. dyed turs
look well for the shop windows. but tneS
will not stand closer scrutiny. They DO
not wear at all well and fur coats of TINS
KIND do not come into consideration in DIS
cussing the kind of q coat that Well
dressed man would want 10 wear.
Most of the best fur coats are made now
by tailors, although some are turned OUT
by furriers In some cases the purchaser.
after ordering his coat, buys the fur from
a dealer and takes it to his tailor. Most
careful men want their overcoatS, even
If they are to be made of fur. made by
the man who cuts their other clothes
The cloth used in making "a fur coat
should be black, whatever the KIND OF
color or the 1uT htiSSS VI 1880
cloth Is the best material. The length OF
"A coat may be left to the individual taste
of the wearer, but the best style Is almost
to the shoe tops
There are no buttons on the fur coats
usde by the best of the New York tailorss
small wooden buttons covered with SIX
and silk loops used to fasten the coaes
down the front. Otherwise the coat Is ap-
not provided with cuffs. Fur is worn as
a cuff only when 1t is part OF sleeve. mace
very long. that il may be turned aoWn
over the hands In cold weather When
turned back and gives the effect OF Guns
made of the fur with which the coat Is
lined. =
Skins in the Collar.
The fur with which the coat is lined shows
along the edge but 1t 10 the collar that
really gives the decorative fur effect TO the
garment As a rule the shawl collar Is
worn because II can be more readily turned
nm about the ears The notch collar is
worn. and, in the opinion OF
some persons is much smarter than the
shawl collar. y
The skins used to make coat collar are
in every case much finer in quality than
those that line the body Of the coat. In
the case of mink. it Is desirable to seIect
an especially good set of skins for the coli
lar. as it alone will show. The difference IN
the quality of astrakhan is not really 90
noticeable, as the finest skins, used for wom-
ems wear would not be required.
Sealskin which Is very expensive, makes
a beautiful lining, but would not be desired
for a collar. A mink, otter or astraknan
collar however. goes admirably with TINS
fur. .
In the same way sable collar may be
used with any sort of lining. suggestion
of sable about coat. however. immediate
iy takes it out of the list Of useful gar
ments. Sable is an extremely perishabie
fur, for one thing, and not suited TO the
wear of any man who has to work, as the
majority of Americans do. and expects 70
wear his fur coat even to business IN cold
weather.
A good mink coat made up by the highest
priced tailor may be bought for 5000. and
with care 1t will last for ten years. A
good astrakhan coat lined throughout with
fur of good quality may be bought for 500.
and 1t will be first class in every detail of
cut and finish.
The fur overcoat follows generally the
lines of the ordinary coat, save that 1t is
fuller in the back, with more Of box effect
and much broader about the bottom