The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-06-02
THE MUFFS MEN WORE
They Were Decked With Lace
and Bows of Ribbon.
A FASHION OF OTHER DAYS.

Their Use Was Quite Common, Too,
and Not Confined to Fops and DAN
dies-DoubIs Muffs Were Once In
vosus--Extrsmss Of style In Sizes.
Muffs were invented for the use of
man. At least SO the legend goes. 1t
seems a classic shade found the air of
the world so beastly cold when he re-
assembled to earth after his death that
his hands were almost frozen.
Consequently 1t was decreed that the
slayer of the poor young gentleman
should kill enough Enthusiastically
sables were appreciated even In those
early days-to make a covering for the
frosted fingers. He did 1t, and that
was the origin Of the muff.
Even If one is not prepared to ac-
cept this account Of the first mum as
authoritative there Is one thing that il
certain. 1t Is only in very modern
times that NUTS have been the exclu-
Blve property Of women. Up to the
third quarter Of the eighteenth CEN
fury men were quite as addicted to
them rs women were.
In the wardrobe accounts OF Henry,
prince Of Wales, for 1908 the prices OF
two muffs are set down. The most ex-
pensive cost Fl, very big sum In
those days, and Is described as being
made of cloth of silver wrought with
purls, plates and Venice twists Of sil-
yer and gold. The other was COM
paratively plain one of black satin en-
broidered with black silk, and its price
was proportionately less. only 60 shil-
lings.
At the time Of Charles I and Charles
II. there was curious fashion Of d0u-
Bile muffs, small one for each hand,
something like big loose cuff. The
single or ordinary muffs carried by the
English ladies' OF Hollars etchings are
Of medium size and made entirely Of
smooth fur, arranged, as a rule, will,
the hair running round the muff.
At the extreme end Of the century,
after the advent of William Of Orange,
mems NUTS were still small and were
generally suspended from a ribbon
round the neck. but In 1903 1t seems to
nave been more usual 10 loop the nun
TO coat button. Ihere IL "iaeiy
prevalent idea, i think, tnat masculine
nun wearers invariably belonged to
the dandy class-the fops, beaus and
maearohies.Dat TINS was no. ac'ualiy
the case, although the fashion was
certainly scored nj by some eohteinpo'
rary writer's.
Staid ana elderly gentlemen carrIeo
nuns hapituaiiy. for ihstahce. LII.
JOSIAH tucker, deah OF Hiouees.er anu
FAMOUS poiitieai econoniis.. was no
attached TO MS huge fur mum that ne
carried ii even wheh onciatihe u. tne
cathedrai services -EheHshinen' now,
ever 90 not seem ever 10 nave ia'oleu
iaee ifiiied nuns such as were anec.eu
py frehehheI, during tue carry parl y.
'he eighteenth century pu' coh'e.'eu
themselves WIN trimmings u .,ooon
BOWS, adorhmehts quite su"eieh''y e.
terminate, one wouid think.
NUTS poth ladies' ana gehtiemens .,
varied much III SIZE at dihereht times
from the reign Oh queen Anne onwafo.
In ITO they were very tiny, put grew
somewhat iarger ourihs .ne .oio"'ns
couple Oh decaoes, III i'4o' however,
,hey hau oecreaseu asain, "n" it'.o
l"'er horace Whipo'c w'i'eS VI sehu
ing eeorse Mohtaeu oeceh. sihan-
ISM mum tnat you may put IN your
pocket ana II cost put ~ sn'lllnss.
hut ny l'oo po'h sexes were carrying
such cnpae'ous nuns Una. pet uos'
were oi.en eohceaieu III 'heir Marnh re-
'esses' ABOUT inns ,,lhe' ny tue way
nuns n"oe Vi ie".ners were h'ro'