The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-21

AZ It would seem from all the fash
M ion indications that rich and
"a costly furs are having a rival in
imitation or fabric furs in such
clever resemblance of the real skin
that it is often hard to tell the diff
ference. While we are sometimes
likely to think of the fabric furs as
cheapening of the real article and
made only for the Limited income"
that opinion is a mistaken one this
season, for. our latest fashion reports
from Paris show that the plush ma
terials that are made in imitation, of
fur are being used in some of the
most fashionable and dressy gar
ments. OF course when Paris takes
up fashion---or better. starts a fash
ion--you may be sure that it will be
made the most Of, and here we have
promise of some lovely develop
ments in fabric furs. On the whole
these stuffs have really made a place
frg themselves and now stand on their
own merits, and are considered
neither by the market" nor the
couturiers merely in the light of an
imitation, SO that the well dressed
woman nowadays may have a plush
Tat0er
than necessity of purse.
Mole, Otter, Civet Cat, Etc, Found In
Imitation Furs
Now these imitation fursl are to be
found In close duplicate of almost
every sort of pelt that is being uti-
lized in feminine apparel-mole, OF
ter. beaver civet cat. Persian lamb.
broadtail, seal, caracul. chinchila and
aastrakhan. Following in the wake of
this fashion We find a great use of
other pile materials, such as velvet
and various plushes--in fact we might
reverse the matter and say that the
vogue for pile materials has helped
along in the favor for imitation fur
and moreover the manufacturers have
not fallen behind in the race. for they
have in every possible way improved
the weaving, dying and finishing of
fur fabrics SO that they are now ac-
cepted as one of the essential mate
rials for winter outer garments
Now as to what Paris is doing with
fabric furs, we have the report that
the grande couturiers are making
special use of the limitations of the
most costly furs, broadtail and mole
furs which of themselves are favor
ties with the French-and are devel-
oping them in very dressy wraps for
afternoon and even for evening wear
Still more, they have found another
novel use for this favored material
use to which real fur is not often
put, and have even made suits from
it. For example a Paris street gown
recently imported serving all the pur-
poses of the suit. was fashioned on
very simple lines in blouse and skirt.
Of imitation broadtail in rich seal
brown trimmed with sleeve and neck
frills and deep girdle of satin in the
same shade.
Even Separate Skirts in EUR"
The trend has been followed in
America in the making of many a
striking suit or frock in imitation of
some close haired fur and more as
tonishing still. we have separate
skirts, even. in the same stuff. The
idea suggested may sound as though
the garments would be bunglesome
and heavy but they are not. the weave
is most soft and pliable, and sep
arate skirt of imitation broadtail,
pony or mole may be a very hand
some thing, especially if it is COM
bined with a sheer blouse of chiffon,
lace or net, trimmed with bits of the
same material as the skirt. Such a
com mbination would really be ultra
fashionable. OF course a skirt or a
1rock developed in fur fabric is an