Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/661

 635 I and climbs and jumps with great agility. Like most wild things, it is hard to catch, and each year seems to go further away into its rocky fastnesses and to become more unattainable. Also demand regulates supply, and there are those who fear that the chinchilla may be fated to become extinct in a not distant future. The Fraudulent Imitation But, sad to say, chinchilla fur lends itself easily to base imitations. This can be done by means of white rabbit dyed grey, or by clipping and tinting white hare. But, in either case, the result is a poor substitute, and, even to an unprac- tised eye, more or less easy of detection. In a previous article mention was made of the recent action of the London Chamber of Commerce in warning the public through the Press of the misnaming of furs and their incorrect description. In a list in my pos- session the proper name for sham chinchilla is stated to be " White rabbit (dyed) " ; the incorrect term, " Chinchilla " ; and the permissible style, " Chinchilla coney." But these authorised names too often lend them- selves to trickery. However, in a good shop, one relies on the word of one's furrier. Chinchilla seems to have been a fur that was not much known to the ancients ; but in the early history of Peru mention is made of the way in which it was used by the Incas. They wove the hair into a sort of cloth, and the skins, with their dainty fur, made a rich lining for the mantles of their chiefs and nobles. And it is curious to note that the great painters of olden days failed to immortalise chinchilla. Their sitters were decked with sable and ermine, but the soft, grey fur had few admirers. Chinchilla ranks with silver fox as a fur that is always harmonious. And, on this account, it stands high in favour with the best-dressed women in London, Paris, and Vienna. But chinchilla looks its best when worn by a decided brunette, or, at any rate, by a wearer who has a perfect complexion. It is a fur which needs definite tints, dark hair for choice, or else golden or auburn hair, and, in either case, much brilliance of colouring. For the grey tones of chin- chilla accentuate the duU shades of a bad complexion, and it should never be worn by a woman whose skin has the least hint of sallowness. Some women spend large sums on a chinchilla coat or stole — grey, colourless women, who make a sad mistake when they match their clothes to their complexions. Colours to Wear with Chinchilla Then this grey fur must be carefully matched with one's other garments. Chin- chilla, on no account, should be worn with a brown or fawn frock, but looks its best with grey or black or with a dull shade of mauve or violet. Like sable, it resents bright colours and crude combinations. And it does not trim well, but makes a splendid collar and cuffs to a coat or cloak of black velvet. Then, like ermine and silver fox. it should always be worn with rich materials. It suits neither sport nor travel, nor the simple life, nor any sort of rough sur- roundings. Parisians class it with ermine as a fur for spring and early autumn. Indeed, in our recent chilly summers, a chinchilla stole and muff worn with a grey chiffon gown looked — and felt — to great advantage. Sable, sealskin, silver fox, ermine, and chinchilla make five precious furs, and the sixth is represented by sea-otter. This latter is the imperial fur of China, and is at once one of the most costly and durable of furs in existence. Sea-otter is rarely seen except as the collar of a man's coat or of a long fur coat for a woman. One skin suffices for a collar, facing, and cuffs, and in the best quality would cost from £S50 to ;^500. The sea-otter has its home in the North Pacific, near the Aleutian Islands, and is a powerful creature, often four feet long and ninety pounds in weight, with a strong jaw and massive molars. Its fur is dense, rich, rather long, very fine, and of a dark- brown colour ; and silver hairs are found in some of the best specimens. Sea-otter as a fur has one great advantage, it is rarely or never imitated. It is highly prized in Russia, and much worn by men of the Russian nobility. Opossum as a Substitute Since the world began and fig-leaves went out of fashion, no woman has ever had money enough to dress upon, and this whether her allowance was ;^ioo a year or But the wind is tempered to the shorn lamb, and the would-be economist can and will escape from her difficulties. For in- stance, opossum makes a by no means bad substitute for chinchilla. This fur has two varieties. The best is soft to the touch, of a delicate bluish-grey colour, and comes from Australia. And another animal of the same species has rather hard, wiry fur of a brownish shade, and is found in Vir- ginia and other parts of North America. The skins are small, and their price varies from three shillings to ;^i a piece and up- wards. Opossum fur looks best in stoles and for muffs and neckties. It is unsuitable for coats on account of its thickness and fluffi- ness. Articles made of this fur are moderate in price ; a stole of the best grey opossum would cost from ;^20 to ^25, and a muflf might be about ;£io. Opossum has for some time past been a favourite fur in Paris, but has never caught on in London and England. In fact, as regards fashion in fur we seem to be strictly conservative. A year or two ago there was a run on fisher fur in Paris, and now they are using putenu, the dark, silky skin of a sort of rat. and neither of these have as yet found much favour in London. As a nation, we are faithful to sable, ermine, sealskin, several sorts of foxes, chinchilla, and now and then to sea-otter.
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