Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-07-21
THE MUFFS MEN WORE
They Were Oecked With Lace
and Bows of Ribbon.
A FASHION OF OTHER DAYS.

Their Use Was Quite Common, Tee,
and Not Confined TO Fops and Dan
eies-DoubIe Muffs Were Once In
Vosue-Extrernes Of Style In Sizes.
MuTs We're invented for the use Of q
man. At least 50 the legen<<oes. It
seems q classic shade found the air OF
the world so beastly cold when he re-
assembled 70 earth after his death that
his hands were almost frozen.
Consequently It was decreed that the
slayer Of the poor young gentleman
should kill enough sables-evidently
sables were appreciated even in those
early days make a covering for the
frosted fingers. lie did IL. and that
was the origin Of the muf
Even IL one IS not prepared 70 &C
cept this account of the first muff q
authoritative there Is one thing that is
certain. Il IS only IN very modern
times that muns have been the exclu-
sivc property Of women. Up to the
third quarter Of the eighteenth cen
fury men were quite as addicted 10
them As women were.
Ia the wardrobe accounts Of Henry.
prince OF Wales. for 1905 the prices OF
two NUTS are set down. The most ex-
pensivc cost - q very big sum IN
those days. and IS described as being
made of cloth Of silver wrought with
purls. plates and Venice twists OF su.
Yer and gold The other was 4 COM
paratively plain one Of black satin ON
broidered with black silk. and It's price
was proportionately less. only 60 shil-
nngs.
At the time Of Charles I and Charles
II. there was 4 curious fashion Of dOu-
bic NUTS. q small one for each hand.
something IKE big loose Gun. The
single or ordinary muffs carried by the
English ladies OF Holars ctchingS arc
Of medium size and made entirely of
smooth fur. arranged. rs rule. with
the hair running round the muN
At the extreme end " the century.
after the advent ~ William OF Orange.
mems mufrS were Stiu small and were
generally suspended from 4 ribbon
round the neck. bUr In 1908 IL seems -
have been moro usual 90 loop tho uur
70 n coat button. There Is 4 widely
prevalent idea. think. that masculine
nun we2rcrs invariably belonged u
the dandy ClaSS-the tops. beaus and
macarories-buc this was not actually
the case. although tho fashion was
certainly sCoffed NJ by some contempt
r0ry writer's
Staid and elderly gentlemen carried
NUTS habitually. For instance. Dr.
Josiah Tucker. dean Of Gloucester and
famous political economist. was 81
attached 70 his huge fur mum that he
carried IL even when officiating at tLc
cathedral services. E0giiShmen. how
ever. do not seem ever 90 have favored
lace frilled NUTS such IS were affected
by Frenchmen during the early part a
! the eighteenth century. but contentei
themselves with trimmings IF ribbon
bows. adornmeDtS quite sufficiently ef-
Terminate. one would think
MuffS, both ladies and gentlemen =
varied much in size at different times
| from the reign OF Queen Anne onward
| In 11lO they We're very tiny. hut grew
somewhat larger during the fouowina
/ couple Of decades. In 174o however
/ they had decrease again. and a Iitt.,
/ later Horace WalQolc writes Of send
inS George NoDJ0Eu II decent small
/ iSh nun that you may put in youl
pocket and il cost buc II >hulings "
| But by 1TG0 both sexes were carrying
such Capaciou> NUTS thar pet dogs
were often concealed I'm their warm re-
/ CeSSeS. About This time. by the way.
nuns made Of feathers We're intro
! duCed 10y reason. il * said. Of an uu.
usual scarcity II furS i'm the market
In 1856 aides muTS-meu. except
such eccentric foEieS as Dean Tucker
had by this time given up wearin1
such thinSS-were decidedly dimiuu
tive. However. IT the beginning Of tho
nineteenth century they were aSain II
monster proportions and 50 continued
for about thirty years.
Two NUTS Of the year 1900 shown in
fashion plate ot that year arc -.
long. shaggy fur. and In the print one
IS cOlorCd yellow and has a bow ot
purple ribbon in the center while tho
other is deep brown and has uo trim.
ming Another huge muir ~ rough
dark fur is shown I'm q set Of fashion
plates for 1875
y few years nearer our own time the
! modiSh mvT was large. flat and 81
widely opcA mt the ends that it could
have afforded but Scanty protection u
the wrists. One example was made ~
crmine. q fur W hich was I'm high favor
from this time up 20 the mid-Victoriau
period. London Queen.