Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-01-13
HINTS ON CHOOSING
ONES WINTER FURS
Browns Are In High Favor This
Season--Skunk Is Really
Beautiful.

Some one has propheSled That the WIN
ter is to be q very cold one, since ali the
fur-bearing animals showed extra heavy
coats early In the autumn. One sincerely
hopes that this may be so, II only as ar
excuse for the wearing OF the tremendous
furs with which fashion has burdened
womankind. Three, four and often five
entire animals skins are flung over my
lady's shoulders in the form Of a scarf"
or "~neckpiece," and the cascade OF
brushes, paws and tassled trimmings often
falls far below her waist.
Muffs are as large In proportion as neck
pieces, and some of the most fashionable
models measure the best part of a yard
across and cover the front of figure from
waist to knee. No wonder short coats
are in favor. With the huge furs of the
moment a heavy, full length garment
would undoubtedly be the last straw to
break the suffering wearer's endurance
II not her back.
The woman who has saved up or been
presented with q hundred dollars for 9
new set of furs will find that II does not go
as far as she anticipated when she begins
to shop for her furs. A year or two ago
q really handsome set Of fox or even of
lynx could have been purchased with this
amount. but now twice as many animal
pelts are required to make up the gar
ments, and these pelts, moreover, must be
Of the ~softest, finest, most supple quality,
with Innings of shirred silk or shirred chif-
Ton, else the weight would be intolerable.
AS the prices Of furs are somewhat like
those of drugs-that is, values are not ar
bitrary' but may be substantially boosted
by such matters as rent, reputation and
the running expenses OF a smart estab-
hshment-the wise woman shops about
thoroughly before deciding finally upon her
winter furs. For example, a set OF black
fox, offered on Fifth avenue for $50, may
sometimes be matched for less than $50 at
u little unpretentious shop where the pelts
come directly from trapper to maker. But
one has to know ones furs. for in no other
business Is there such opportunity for de-
ceiving the ignorant and inexperienced.
Poor, thin pieces from the edges Of hand
Some skins are often sewed together by
a multitude Of tiny stitches and made
TO present a very fair appearance until
d moderate amount Of wear pulls the
patchwork apart and reveals the decep-
Hon,
dust now brow fuIu are again ir high
favor after several seasons of preference
for black. Sealskin, mink, fisher, fitch,
opossum, badger, skunk, otter n mole
skin are all included under brown furs
and are used as trimmings and also In
neckpieces and muffs BIZ fox, strange
as IL may sound, is also a brown fur of
hAS@ SSoAk%s NSAAAAAAS SASS ~ 49, ~S
rare and very expensive. but one sees oc-
c~asional sets Of this feathery pelt match
ing fawn-colored limousine coats from
Paris.
Mink Is the reliance Of the average womz4
an looking for brown fur, but mink is
really not at all an economical pelt, for
even the expensive quality fades rapidly,
and the luster and richness Of the fur
soon disappears, leaving a fiat, hard and
unbecoming surface. There are dreadful
limitations OF mink, with hand-colored
stripes on ordinary brown squirrel pelt,
and there is the eastern" mink. which is
really q creditable imitation Of the genu-
ine pelt and is much used for coat Innings
and trimmings.
But the woman who wants 70 get he-
moneys worth in brown furs will select
skunk, opossum or fisher. Skunk. In spite
OF its unsavory name, is really q beautiful
pelt and comes very near In appearance to
the f~abulously priced Russian sable, with
three times the durability of the latter
perishable fur. A set Of skunk furs should
not prove ~prohibttively expensive, and a
neckpiece and muff to match Of Hudson
seal trimmed with skunk would be very
smart with q cloth costume. Just now
fur trimmings are the rage and when the
muff and neckpiece are purchased enough
of the same pelt should be bought by the
ydTu W DOFuSr IHo euB6 OF the LalIOreQ
skirt and the coat sleeves. Badger Is not
an expensive brown fur, which is liked for
collar and muff sets.
This year the woman who wishes to
make a smart end fashionable .SSe:-.1o
chooses an inexpensive fur and plenty Of
It, rather h q very little OF the hand
somer pelt. The new fur neckpieces are
really overpowering In size. Two full
grown fox skins, the jaws OF one grip
ping the other Just above the brush, are
flung over the shoulders in almost bar
barrie fashion, the front of the scarf, tipped
with head and brush, falling some distance
below the waist. Usually these big neck
pieces are fastened at the shoulder, the
brushes hanging at front and back, the
face rising fowerlike from it's huge ruff
of fur.
Lynx and pointed fox are still high IA
vorites with man. women who appreciate
the becoming qualities OF the soft black
pelts against the skin. Pointed fox is an
expensive luxury, but very good sets OF
dyed black fox-really the humble red fox
OF the fields cleverly colored-may be had
for a reasonable figure. Black fox is much
more durable than lynx, which retains its
beauty only a short time. Lynx should
never be selected by a woman who trav-
els much in rowded vehicles, for the long
hairs which constitute the chief beauty
of this fur are soon pulled out by being
rubbed against heavy garments.
OF the gray furs, wolf and the new
favorite. Adelaide chinchina, are the most
practical choice. This Australian chin
chilla has the same velvety texture Of or
binary chinchilla, but Is more durable and
somewhat less expensive. Australian
opossum is a tawny fur, which Is also
very fashionable just now. There are de-
icctabio little shoulder wraps, like scarfs
with kimono sleeves attached, made OF
this pretty Adelaide chinchilla, and these
are matched by huge. soft bag muffs with
Quillings of gray satin ribbon at the edge
The Judy bag muff. named for a certain
popular actress, who exploits no less than
five Of the curious muffs in her play this
season, is the hit of the winter. These
Judy bags are made OF fur or OF velvet
trimmed with fur and In huge bag shape,
the hands being thrust into the sides of the
bag near the top and the lower portion
falling I'm a long point tipped with a heavy
tassel. The fabric muff, trimmed with
fur, Is quite as smart-and even smarter
than the all-fur muff for dressy wear, and
the ultra chic nufiop ia IN have both N