Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1874 — The Fashion in Furs. [ARTICLE]

The Fashion in Furs.

* Dark furs will remain iu favor. The fashionable set for the coming winter consists of.a long, boa ami muff For collars, though greatly in vogue broad, are only worn here by elderly ladies and those who require greater protection for the chest, Boas for general wear are two yards long ;*those to be worn with fUr cloaks are much shorter. Muffs are of medium size and are finished with passementerie tassels or bows of gros grain ribbon of the same shade as the fur. The first choice in fur sets is the durk Russian sable. Wealthy women select the darkest shades of this fur for a long boa yrith tail-tips on the ends and a mull of comfortable size. Lighter Russian sable is far cheaper than the dark skins, and costs from $250 upward for a set. Hudson Bay sable is a rich, warm fur. and in its finest dark qualities is preferred to the light Russian sable. A boa or collar of this fur costs from S4O to $l5O, and a muff tb match will double the expense. Sable-tail sets are very dark, being made entirely of the tail-tins, ana cost less than correspondingly dark shades made of fur from the body of the animal. They range from $l5O to S4OO. The next choice after sable is a set of black fox, a long dark fur that is now very scarce. A set costs from S2OO t o S3OO. Many ladies -CQfUpnt thcmaolves with a muff of this fur, as rolling site fur to form a boa displays the roots and detracts from its beauty. Very stylish sets are now made of the tips of the fishertail and called fisher-tail furs. This dark, luxurious-looking fur resembles handsome sable, and costs from $75 to $l5O. Among the most dressy and fashionable furs is the silver-fox, a beautiful fiutlv fur of shaded gray, with light-sil-vered, feathery tips like downy white marabout feathers.' A set of this fur is especially handsome with rich Mack and other dark costumes of velvet anti silk, or else of cauuTs-hair. Young ladies select this fur, while matrons more advanced choose sets of fisher-tail. A set of silver-fox costs SIOO and upward. Dark gray Arica, chinchilla, finely shaded and velvet-like, will also be fashionable for dressy sets of fur, and is not expensive: the boa costs from S3O to $lO, and the muff is the same prietnChinchilla is much admired with black velvet costumes; also for-trimming velvet cloaks and polonaises. White ami blue fox arc pretty light furs and are still in use. Seal-skin will retain its popularity for cloaks, and also for plain dark sets. Shetland seal is finest, rtutlicst, and.most tender : Alaska seal is most durable and the lowest priced. Seal skin sacques are longer than those of last winter, mcasur ing now from twenty-six to thirty-two inches, ami an- slightly shaped to the figure in the hack. They arc double- j breasted, with re vers collar, yet arc not i rolled low, and are fastened by fur frogs, 1 buttons, ami loops. The sleeves arc easy ample i oat shape. Trimmed seai.saeqties are umre dressy than plain ones; these have a wide border," cuffs and collar of i some -other, rich fur, such as sable, un-. plucked otter, plucked- alter, fisher-tail, I silver-fox, chinchilla, beaver, or black . marten. Reliable furriers decline to rec- : otnmend seal sacques sold below SIOO, as the cheaper grades of fur seal arc so badly dyed that the pelt is weakened by the acids ot the dye, and the fur soon wears off. Prices range from SIOO to SBOO. A seal sacque trimmed with black marten can also be bought for $100; those trimmed with expensive furs cost much more. The nvutt worn with such sacques should be trimmed to correspond. Milliners import large seal-skin hats shaped like the English walking hat, with square brims in front and back, and closely turned up sides. They are trimmed over the crown and around it with some long fur, such as black fox, or the black marten with silvery-gray hairs: the cunning head of the animal and a spirited little pompon are. placed in front or ou the left side. Sets of Shetland seal have advanced in price; the handsomest now cost SOO and sometimes rntWe, though a pretty muff and long black boa can be found at various prices ranging from $lB up. Ladies of good taste and limited means select tliis„>oft. warm fur iu its rich, dark shades in preference to more showy, low-priced furs. Sets of otter are also occasionally sold. These are dressed to resemble the Shetland seal, and cost about SSO. They are, however, too heavy for comfort. Mink, is no longer, the standard fur,yet its popularity is not entirely gone, audit will still be bought by those Who know its.value. It is considerably reduced in price, and in its fine qualities is preferable to the light grades of Hudson Bay sable. Fine dark sets now sold for S6O were formerly worth $80; the prices begin as low as $lB a set. Ermine, like mink, has passed its zenith of popularity, yet is still liked by many for evening wear, and is bought largely at its now reduced price. The purest* and whitest sets of ermine are sold for S3O. Large garments of this fur are chosen for evening wraps. Sets of the white grebe once so fashionable are sold for $22. Among low-priced furs black marten, with its long fleece, will be most generally used. This is also called Alaska sable, and is really made of the skin of the polecat. In buying this fur care should be taken to insure that the skins are properly dressed, else they will not be thoroughly deodorized, and the oil will create worms that ruin the fur. and the dress of the wearer as well. A set cos Us from $lB to $22. Black lynx is a long, black, glossy fur, but it is always dyed, and the fleectHlTso fine that it does not take the dve well, and is apt to crack; hence it is not highly comment led. Black monkey-skins, with their long, dark, straight hair—not fur—are admired for their oddity, but are not soft and warm. A muff of this skin is unique and dressy, but the boa is not desirable. Plain people who think more of comfort than of display retain their partialitv for the black curled furs known under the general nameof Astrakhans. These are made into sacques ‘to be worn in cold climates for elderly ladies, for mourning, and for the country-, where long sleighrides are taken. They are now so reduced in price as to coifie within r; nge of most modest purses. Good sacques of the Russian lamb-skin are sold for S3O, *,the blsck Persiani sacques of finer quality cost $45 or SSO, while those of the fine silken Persiani that resemble moire antique are SIOO, They are edged with fringe or not, according to fancy. A boa and muff of the Russian,lamb-skin cost from $6 to sl2: made, of the finer black Peraiani, they cost from sl6 to S2O. Ladies in mourning do not limit themselves to black furs, hut use any rich dark fur they choose or happen to have, the only change necessary being that of using black linings for muff and jacket. Fur borders will be very fashionable this winter for trimming cloaks, sacques, polonaises and costumes. -Imported velVl'."- - ‘ »*■'- '— ’ -

vet., matclasse and camel’s hair garments have deep fur collars and much Wider borders than those used last winter. Furriers fav that these wide borders will be conflned to furs of close, short pile, as the light, long fleece of such fur as the silver fox loses its fiutlv beauty when left in a compact mass. As this fur is very costly, it is a fortunate thing that it looks prettiest iu its narrow widths, such as only half an inch of pelt, which will make about three inehes of trimming on Its right side. Bilver-fov borders .cost from sl2 to sls a yard, and are probably the most stylish of all fur trimmings. Garments bordered with fur usually have a muff to match made of the material of 1 the garment, and trimmed on each end with a fur border. Chinchilla trimming j is also in great favor, and costs from ss' to sl6 a yard. - This is also much used J for trimming children's Black | marten borders cost from $2 to $4, according to their width. Gentlemen will have their long Ulster overcoats of gray and black Elysfan beaver cloth trimmed with a border of gray trimmer or of black Persiani. Tne white grebe trimmings so pretty for children’s wraps are given a new effect by being cut across the skin so that the brown bars are lengthwise on the white, feathery surface. These cost $5 a yard. Fur linings are considered soft, warm and luxurious for carriage- wraps of black gros grain or cashmere, and for jackets of silk or velvet. An objection to them, however, is that they are apt to rub off on wool dresses, on velvet of long pile, and, indeed, on smooth silks. The pretty gray squirrel-lock fur with white ground, on which gray tabs are sewed in rows, is least apt' to rub ofif, and is most used for linings. Garments lined with fur are seldom trimmed outside, their lining being considered sufficient in the way of ornament; and this is fortunate, as the lining adds greatly to the expense. About $75 is the furrier’s charge for lining the large circulars used as carriage wraps, and from $45 to S6O is asked for lining the smaller garments j with sleeves. Seal skin jackets, with hat and muff to ! match, arc the favorite but expensive j furs for little girls and large ones, and may be found in sizes for girls from five years old up to those for misses of fifteen years. There are also charming little sacques or coats of gray Persian fur, trimmed —with —a —border —of—sertUs-kin. These have also a cap, mutt; and sacque TiTimVb’h.'amicost"about $35 for the sniff — ll<irper'>< linear.