What do we know about fur coats? Yes, very little. We know that a mink coat is cool, but a sable coat couldn’t be cooler. Perhaps that's all. Meanwhile, on today’s market for fur products there are so many mink coats alone that if you don’t learn to understand them, it’s easy to get into trouble like the heroine of a famous joke:
- But they sold me a fur coat made of cat skins instead of mink...
- Well, how? - It’s okay, I’m wearing it.
It’s good, it’s warm, but in the spring I really want to go to the attic... Warm luxury from Italy
Times change, but the love for fur remains
So, what are they like - mink coats, luxurious and desirable.
Real and fake
Experts joke that the best way to make sure that you were sold a product made from the skin of a mink, and not another animal, is to do a DNA test. The second way - the real one - is to evaluate the shape of the skin. In mink, unlike other furs, it resembles a highly elongated trapezoid. For those who love mathematics, we specify: 10-15 cm in width and 45-65 in length. For the humanists, we add: on the label of a fur coat, mink is designated exclusively by the words vison(e) (French, Italian) or mink (English). And nothing else.
Some sellers of fur products claim that there is a third way to check fur for authenticity: just as a real Orenburg scarf must fit into a wedding ring, so a real mink coat must fit into a woman’s bracelet.
The PurchaseLux assortment includes only genuine exclusive models
Of boys and girls
Boy or girl - this question worries not only a pregnant woman, but also the buyer of a new fur coat, because fur products made from males and females are very different from each other. Males, as befits the stronger sex, are more persistent, warm, and fluffy. Females are delicate and graceful, with less dense fur. Short products are sewn from “men’s” heavy skins, and long and flared ones from light “women’s” skins.
Size matters
There is a widespread belief that women's skins are better than men's, because a fur coat made from a female is 20-25% more expensive than a product made from a male. In fact, the quality of the skin depends more on the dressing and class of fur than on the gender of the animal. High-quality male skins look no worse than lower-class female skins. And the difference in price, as a rule, is due to the fact that females are smaller in size and a larger quantity is required for a fur coat. But it is worth noting that high-quality female fur is lighter in weight.
A universal fur poncho is suitable for any occasion and will not tire you out with its weight, because... the product is very light
Studying black and white in colors
When choosing a black and white product, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the dyed material from the natural one. The easiest way is to carefully examine the down. If it is lighter than the main long pile, then the color is natural.
Fur that has been tinted has an even color throughout its entire structure.
Products made from natural black and white furs are most often sewn according to classic patterns. The most durable option is a combination of astrakhan fur. In terms of strength, it occupies a leading position.
Studying black and white in colors
Two-color fur coats made from different furs look very attractive. Particularly unusual are models made from piles of different lengths. For example, astrakhan fur and arctic fox. Black-brown fox fur coats are famous for their excellent durability and excellent ability to retain heat. Due to their natural two-tone color, such skins do not require additional color manipulation.
Fur coats made from black and white chinchilla skins are beautiful and elegant.
They are incredibly light, although not very warm or durable.
Incredibly light
Black and white rabbit fur is famous for its incredible variety. It is the most affordable and can be cut and dyed without any problems. In designer models made from rabbit skins of different colors, it is sometimes difficult to recognize the brother rabbit, the fur is so beautifully decorated. Of course, it is no different in wearability. But it feels good in wet weather.
One of the most expensive options is a mink coat, black and white or black trimmed with white long-haired fox.
One of the most expensive options
This is perhaps the most favorite fur among fashion designers. Mink is not afraid of coloring. It cuts and plucks beautifully. You can knit ornaments from it. A black and white mink coat can be worn without fear for at least 10 seasons in a row.
Durable and not very durable
“Which fur coat lasts the longest?” - this question ranks first in the ranking of the most useless questions about furs and first place in the ranking of the most frequently asked. After all, the service life of a fur coat depends primarily on how you take care of it and how much you wear it. Secondly, it depends on the type of fur. A high-quality mink, for example, lasts at least eight winters, does not dry out for a long time, and is not afraid of wet snow and dirt.
Another question is that it is very difficult to evaluate the quality of a mink coat on your own. Here you either go to a trusted store that has recommendations from satisfied customers, or take a furrier course.
This vest from the PurchaseLux assortment will serve you reliably and for a very long time.
Whole and “dissolved”
Once a skin, two skins - there will be a fur coat. This sewing method is called one-piece. It is used to produce fur coats from rare and expensive furs, which are simply blasphemous to cut into pieces.
For a full fur coat, only the entire section of mink fur is used - No. 3, plus
No. 2, 4, 6
. For the most expensive fur coats, only section No. 3 is used.
No. 3 - has the thickest and most uniform hair growth and durable skin tissue
The method of one-piece tailoring has been known to furriers for a long time: such were the long-skirted fur coats of Russian noblewomen and the stoles of European aristocrats of the 18th century. But fashion is changing, and today beauties around the world are presented with unusual styles and shortened models, which sometimes simply cannot be made from uncut skins. Therefore, modern designers have mastered and are making full use of a new sewing technology - unraveling, the essence of which is to cut the skin diagonally into narrow strips and then sew with a vertical offset. The result is narrow but long skins, from which those delightful “flowing” fur coats are sewn, the owners of which are the envy of all passing ladies. This effect is achieved due to the fact that the unraveling conceals the joints of the skins, creating the impression of a single material, a “flying” silhouette.
Cut-up fur coats are cheaper than whole fur coats, because they are made using the entire skin, and not just rectangular pieces of the best fur (as with whole-cut fur coats). In addition, to sew garments for dismantling, they often use clippings from defective skins (there is a hole, the fur has been wiped off), which does not significantly affect the quality of the fur coat, but significantly affects the price. She falls.
By the way, even on an expensive one-piece fur coat there will be areas sewn into pieces. They are needed to create interesting reliefs, to properly fit the fur product on the shoulders, armpits, and in the chest area. If such inserts occupy only 5-10% of the total area of the fur coat, this is a good thing, you should take it.
A mink fur coat will be a worthy replacement for a fur coat when you want variety
Texture and color combinations
Black and white fur coats are one of the most advantageous color variations, since you can safely combine natural furs of different textures. Original combinations:
- White mink base and silver fox as finishing.
- A voluminous snow-white pepper with thin stripes of black rabbit.
- Mouton fur trimmed with silver fox, arctic fox, white mink.
- Short black chinchilla fur coat with a snow-white collar.
- Black and white fur coats in the photo are made of fur with different piles, zigzags and waves.
Combining fur of different textures opens up enormous opportunities for designers and fashion designers to create chic outerwear. And the fair sex can only choose a style that suits their figure.
Choosing the right fur coat
Stylish black and white fur coats differ in cut and design, as seen in the photo. They are universal, but when choosing such a model, you should take into account the features of the figure:
- The shorter the model, the longer and more voluminous the fur - for slender girls.
- For plump ladies, it is better to choose a black and white fur coat with short pile.
- Fur coats with horizontal stripes are best purchased for thin women.
- Vertical black and white fur coats with widened bottoms are an option for overweight people.
- Complete rejection of floor-length models - they are impractical and out of fashion this season.
Outerwear, especially those made from natural fur, is expensive, and the purchase should be considered. Black and white fur coats with an original pattern are a win-win option, since they suit everyone, are warm and practical.
To cut or to pluck - that is the question
The difference between sheared and plucked mink is the same as between kebab and steak. Both meats are delicious. But it's prepared differently.
When shearing, the longest hairs of the fur - the awn - are shortened; when pinching, they are completely removed. With expensive and not yet used in Russia, laser “haircutting” involves burning the fur to the desired length with a laser beam, and with “polishing,” the fur hairs are shaved off to a height of 0.5-1 mm, resulting in fur that feels similar to suede. Not very warm, but unusual.
With the help of laser cutting, the fur is not only shortened, but also acquires an unusual pattern.
Many ladies are afraid that the first thing that falls into the hands of a fur coat “hairdresser” is low-quality fur. And it is true. Expensive good fur is not plucked or cut, because the silky guard hair is its main value.
Plucked and trimmed furs are not recommended for daily wear - the hairless underfur is quickly wiped off, depriving the product of a presentable appearance. Usually, so-called evening fur coats are made from shortened fur, designed to be thrown over a long dress while jogging from the car to the entrance to a restaurant or club. Such fur products are the same as a Ferrari car: prestigious, impressive, stylish, but you can’t go fishing or shopping normally - instead of a spacious trunk, there’s a motor.
The pattern on the fur coat is also achieved by laying out the skins in different directions.
There are different minks: black, white and... speckled
Depending on where they live, all 50 million minks existing on the planet today are divided into four types: American, Scandinavian, Russian and European. The grandmother of these animals is the American mink; its family includes the most expensive types of mink - Blackglama and Blacknuff. Velvety, purebred black with a barely noticeable brown tint, coats made from these furs leave no one indifferent. Even Naomi Campbell, who recently declared that she would rather walk naked than wear a natural mink coat, did not deny herself the pleasure of trying on Blackglama.
Why didn’t I like fur before? Because I didn’t have a Blackglama fur coat!
But the largest family is Scandinavian. Breeders love experimenting with these furs. Thanks to their efforts, blue mink - which looks spectacular on platinum blondes - and white mink appeared. The latter is a rare and expensive guest in Russian salons. You need to hunt for it at fur exhibitions and auctions. Charge your credit card to full - and go! By the way, only there you can find mink coats of exclusive color mutations: gray with white specks (“stardust”) or dark yellow with chocolate stains (“marble”).
Another fantasy of breeders: jaguar-colored mink. Russian furriers jokingly call it “burenka”
Our native Russian mink is usually brown. Or rather, for amateurs it is brown, and for connoisseurs of good fur - nut, dark pastel, wild and a dozen other shades. The rarer the color, the more expensive the skin.
The coarsest fur is European, with a dense underfur and high moisture resistance. It is widespread in the south of Siberia. It is worn by strong Siberian women with calm, solemn faces that can stop a galloping horse and look cooler than queens.
Well, if the mink of the desired color does not yet exist in nature, paint will come to the rescue!
Main types of black and white fur coats
Black and white contrast is ideal for fur. Both natural and dyed skins can be used here. But it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that in nature you will not be able to find too many animals that are distinguished by their black and white color. This means that such fur will definitely be expensive. This includes not only black-brown fox or chinchilla, but also rabbit or sheepskin. But still, the most expensive of this category is the Arctic fox.
You can independently distinguish dyed fur from natural fur. To do this, you just need to push the fibers apart with your fingers and look at the down. It is he who will show whether the color is different from the top layer or whether it is the same. It is very important here to make sure that a high-quality dye was used to dye the fur.
There are several models of black and white fur coats:
- short version, corresponding to the middle of the shin;
- The black and white Arctic fox is very popular;
- Geometric chaotic patterns look amazing.
But don’t forget about the long mink coat, which is distinguished by its vertical contrasting stripes. Is it possible not to like a cross-cut mink, distinguished by wide horizontal stripes? Such a fur coat must be of medium length, and here black, white, and also rich gray colors vary.
No less popular, and also expensive, is white mink, decorated with a black floral print. What can you wear with a black and white fur coat?
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From waist to floor
A trip to the subway during rush hour is murder for a long fur coat. It is only suitable for going out: to the theater, to a social party, a leisurely walk... Royal flowing fur coats “to the floor” are intended for wealthy and accomplished ladies. Or for older women. For young girls, designers offer knee-length models and short sheepskin coats - “autoladies”. They are practical and go well with affordable jeans and fashionable long scarves.
An ideal option for the young and active is a short fur coat that will suit any look.
Model variety
The world's catwalks are filled with bright fur coats in poisonous neon shades, for sewing which world-famous couturiers use cut and dyed fur. The classic black and white models made of combined fur combined with leather elements look even more relevant. Popular cut and style details:
- The length of the outerwear is maximum to the middle of the shin.
- Trimmed and voluminous fur is popular, especially the white arctic fox.
- The main trend of the season is geometric chaotic patterns.
- Full or three-quarter length voluminous sleeves with rounded shoulders.
- Turn-down collar or round neck without collar.
- A medium-sized hood, a fitted silhouette, and a belt are in fashion.
- Oversized models made of long contrasting fur are no less relevant.
And finally
We all know that a good thing is an expensive thing. And a mink coat for 50 thousand rubles, sold through a newspaper ad, is not worth the candle. The low price of such a product indicates the low quality of its fur. And where does silky fur come from from a mink, for which one and a half rubles a day is allocated for food? You can't feed a hamster with that kind of money.
Mink is a small but voracious animal
Where did such a modest “living wage” come from?
Let’s count together: a fur coat costs 50 thousand rubles. Of these, 10 thousand is the store’s markup, and the same amount is tailoring. In total, the net cost of the skins is 30 thousand rubles. A woman’s fur coat requires at least 30 skins, which means the price of one skin is one thousand rubles. Half of this cost goes towards caring for the animal and subsequent dressing. This leaves only 500 rubles for food. In year. This is how long a mink lives from birth to skin. So it turns out that the beast is entitled to only one and a half rubles a day! What kind of balanced nutrition is there for the thickness of the undercoat and vitamins for the shine of the fur? If only she didn’t stretch out her paws.
And it’s good if the low cost of a fur coat is associated only with the terrible quality of its skins, because stolen, used and hazardous products are also sold at bargain prices. Do we need it?
In general, if your budget for purchasing winter new clothes is limited, it is better to buy, for example, a fur coat than to buy a suspiciously cheap mink. Moreover, experts in social etiquette say: wearing a mink coat that costs less than your six-month or even quarterly salary is bad manners. It's like wearing a fake watch or bag.
