Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-03

financial affairs even more decidedly
than would diamonds. which. of course,
last for years after an ermine coat has
been outworn and cast aside. The fur
evening wraps, therefore always
seem to be the most impressive and
luxurious part of the sartorial display
in the foyer and corridors of the great
opera house in New York on a fash
ionable night.
For there are nights and nights at
the opera house. and Wednesdays
and Fridays one may be certain of
seeing the elect of the smart set in
their boxes in the famous diamond
horseshoe, and the grand tier OF boxes
above filled with folk frocked, Golf
fured and jeweled with equal brill
lance. Full dress is worn all through
the house on these evenings, from the
orchestra up to the dress circle, and
even in the balcony above one en-
counters decollete frocks handsome
evening wraps and masculine dress
attire. Up above, where the real
music enthusiasts sit and the folk
who, even if they had the several dol
lars to pay for a seat, do not possess
the raiment to grace it: one may lis
ten to enhancing strains and million
dollar voices In a shirt waist or mack
intosh if one so desires but even the
strongest opera glass will scarcely re-
veal to ones eyes glimpse of the
diamonds, the laces, the satins and
brocade.s and furs, far below.
Each French couturier puts out his
special model in a luxurious fur even
ing wrap, and many of these wraps
touch the five thousand-dollar mark
when custom duties have been includ-
ed in this country. One of the most
expensive and most beautiful coats
worn at the opening performance of
Aida. November II. was of white
tailless ermine made with huge
cape of the fur. which fell to the waist
line. This cape and the bottom of
the coat were bordered with fringe
Of sable tails; and as the trapping or
sables has been prohibited in Russia
for three years. the cost of this fringe
Of tails alone may well be imagined.
Above the sable tails on the bottom or
the coat was a twelve-inch band OF
the ermine trimmed with the small
black ermine tails which are always
so effective on the snowy fur. White
coney is something like the tailless
ermine, though of course the pelt is
not as pure white or as rich and thick
in texture with the Won6erfui supple
ness of ermine. The coney is less
expensive. and many women have, coats
of coney with trimmings of ermine
tails or white fox
Paul Poiret is very partial to the
striking combination OF brilliant red
fox fur with pure white erinine. and
since his taking up OF the red FOX
fur. which is really quite an ordinary
pelt belonging to humble little Brer
Fox of the woods and fields, many
furriers have brought out ermine coats
trimmed with red fox. A beautiful
coat of this style designed by Revillon
ITreres is illustrated. This coat is built
Of the taillesS ermine and has a deep
border of ermine tails in striped effect
at the foot. The huge collar and cuffs
of red fox are strikingly conspicuous
on the snowy fur. but the coat is very
splendid and becoming to it's wearer
whose dark eyes and hair are enhanced
by contrast with the brllllant coloflng
Of the fur.
Some of the important French cou
turiers have produced evening wraps
which have the luxurious effect OF
ermine, though in place of the costly
fur white, ratine or white cut velvet
trimming furs of some contrasting
color. A coat of this sort, created by
Bernard, was worn at the Metropoh-
tan Opera House during the premier
week, and attracted some attention
This coat was made of pure white cut
velvet, bordered at neck. sleeves and
foot with black fox. From the back
of the shoulders, as an Austrian officer
wears his white and gold coat. depend
ed a graceful cape. which fell on one
side to, the waistline. sloping down to
hip length on the other side This
cape was made Of the cut white velvet
and at it's edge was a thick fringe of
black ernine tails.
Another white cut velvet wrap by
Bernard has draped sleeves and
graceful scarf which may be twisted
around the throat or even wound about
the head and allowed to fall over the
wrap. Coat. draped sleeves and scarf
are lined with splendid shade of
emerald green satin and gold cords and
tassels hanging from the sleeves add
richness to the white and green combt-
nation.
At the horse show handsome even
ing wraps thrown over the chair backs
made wonderfully effective backgrounds
for lovely evening frocks. whose effect
would have been much lessened If their
wearers had sat without the wraps in
the plain wooden chairs which fur
nish the boxes When an artist paints
a portrait he is very likely to hing
scarf. a wrap-or, lacking one of these