CHINESE FURS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 53, 5 March 1925, Page 13

CHINESE FURS

FAVOURITES OF FASHION.

The perversity that attends the affairs ef womankind has decreed that this year, just when the women of Paris and London have decided sto adorn themselves with Chinese fuvs, there shall be a war in China at the very source of supply, says an exchange.- It is not often that China skins, as they are technically called, come into popular favour. They are usually overshadowed by the richer pelts from the northern latitudes, from Canada Russia, and Siberia. But this year, thanks to thin pocket-books, and the insatiabl* desire for change, smart Women havejftaken up these fui'Sj especially for triiVmiings.

As early as last spring, e»ys an English writer, one went down to the golf course wearing a check tweed wrap coat with collar and cuffs trimmed with Tibet lamb, that fluffy fur from Mongolia, that dyes a delicious cinnamon or cocoa shade. These coats have now invaded London. But the question is, can the craze continue? ■'

Bivalling the Tibets in sheer dyed usefulness, is Chinese hare. When the dyer descends upon the humble hare he effects a remarkable change, turning out pearl, slate-grey, beige, brown, or black foxaline that makes a most satisfactory trimming for either costumes or evening dresses. Under still greater inspiration, the Chinese hare is tinted pale yellow and pointed cleverly with brown to make the best imitation of fitch imaginable. Or change the colours and the pointing and the hare is turned into lynx. Again, take the back of the skin, shear it and touch it ub with grey, and you are able to look like chinchilla, although your purse is a hundred miles from the real article.

Tibets and hare are the most numerous and inexpensive of the China skins, but the bales from the Orient contain plenty of other varieties. Red Mongolian foxes, natural or dyed, are very popular this winter, and cuffs and collars are made of wolf, dogskin-, goat, marmot, real fitch, pahmi, and kolinsky. Baum and stone marten are exceedingly becoming and there is always a scramble between the darjwg women of London and the da><i X Women of New York, for the cr>£S of 5000 leopard skins thai is exported every year. Paquin exhibited a dashing costume recently with a long tunic of leopard skins, showing below the coat. "The Chinese are past masters at making money out of trouble," remarked an importer of China's skins the other day. "I may be an optimist but I am signing contracts for furs for delivery two months hence, war or no war. The skins may have a chequered career, but I feel sure they will get here just the same."