Luxurious fur coats have never gone out of style. Fashionistas all over the world know that a fur coat is not only comfortable, warm outerwear, but also a symbol of prosperity. But it can only be such if it is of high quality and absolute naturalness of the fur. Of course, mink coats are especially popular. Mink fur is pleasant to the touch, warm and stunning. To sew finished products, fur is processed using special methods that allow you to achieve an incredible effect. But how to choose a mink fur coat? What to look for and how to avoid purchasing an outright fake?
Choosing a plucked mink
What is sheared mink fur?
From year to year, natural fur processing technologies are updated and improved, which allows craftsmen to create new, more original textures. When dressing mink, furriers most often resort to pinching and shearing methods. The guard hairs of plucked fur are removed, leaving only a soft, velvety underfur. When processed using the cutting method, the guard hairs are shortened. As a result, the pile becomes more attractive in appearance, but a little prickly.
Craftsmen often resort to dressing natural fur, combining plucking and shearing methods into a single technology. This allows the material to acquire an extremely smooth, velvety texture. To achieve the “corduroy” effect, the fur is trimmed at different levels over the entire surface.
How can a fur coat or hat acquire patterns? Sheared mink can often be laser processed, which makes it possible to endow the surfaces with textured patterns.
Variety of mink fur
In the process of processing mink skins, fur is obtained:
- plucked,
- cropped
- and ordinary.
To obtain plucked raw materials, hard, long hairs are removed from the fur surface, leaving a soft, delicate layer of undercoat. As a result, the product is soft and plush to the touch. Thanks to this processing method, the fur coat becomes more decorative. It retains its original appearance and at the same time provides excellent protection during the cold season. But in order for the collar area and cuffs to wear out less, they are treated with ordinary mink fur, or any other type of expensive natural raw material.
Practicality of the material
Products made from natural sheared fur usually have a slightly reduced price compared to products made from mink, which has an elongated pile. However, this rule does not always apply. Thus, original designer models that have been processed by applying laser patterns are an order of magnitude more expensive than products made from ordinary fur.
If we talk about how practical a fur coat made from sheared mink turns out to be in everyday use, then, as practice shows, the material does not last as long as products made from ordinary fur. The reason for this is the use of lower quality skins, which acquire an attractive appearance thanks to special processing. To ensure that a sheared mink coat pleases the eye for as long as possible, preference should be given to products from reputable manufacturers who do not use low-quality materials.
Advantages of plucked mink
Fashionistas are very fond of products made from plucked mink. Thanks to special dressing, the fur loses a little of its original heat-preserving properties, but acquires an interesting texture. Plucked mink has a pleasant velvety feel to the touch, perfect for mild European winters. This piece of fur makes incredibly beautiful fur coats in the photo, which are popular among fashionistas. We can safely say that a plucked mink coat is nothing more than the result of a design idea. Wanting to create something new, amazing and stylish, fur craftsmen came up with the idea of plucking sharp, coarse hairs from mink skin. Thus obtaining new, beautiful, soft and pleasant to the touch raw materials.
During the production process, plucked fur is often combined with other types of natural skins, which makes it possible to obtain stylish fur products.
In addition to its visual appeal, plucked fur wears out less and falls off less, which extends the life of the fur coat.
What the masters are silent about
Of course, a plucked mink coat is a beautiful and stylish product. But, processed fur is less practical than natural skin. The product made from plucked fur is intended for short walks and winter car trips. Externally, it is an attractive and expensive thing. But its practical properties are not as good as we would like.
By removing skins from the surface, the craftsman's hard hairs disrupt the structure of the fur. If not properly cared for, this can lead to rapid loss of vellus hairs. In a plucked mink coat, it is better not to be exposed to rain or snow, since getting wet can lead to a loss of attractive appearance.
Thus, a fur product made from plucked mink is certainly a beautiful thing. But, such a fur coat is more decorative than practical. For cold winter days, it is recommended to choose clothes from ordinary fur, which was created by nature and has not undergone special processing. If you just need to buy a beautiful, stylish fur coat, in which you are not supposed to walk on long cold days, plucked mink is the best solution.
Rabbit
Often, under the guise of sheared mink, consumers are offered products made from carefully processed rabbit fur. In order not to be mistaken, you need to understand that the pile of mink is denser. On the contrary, rabbit skins have relatively sparse hairs, with virtually no undercoat. It is enough to squeeze the fur in the palm of your hand and the rabbit fur will become almost intangible.
Not only beauty, but also practicality
Most often, mink coats are trimmed with sable fur along the neckline, bottom of the sleeve and, sometimes, on the front flap along the fastener. This not only significantly decorates the product, but also increases its functional properties - providing additional protection and warmth in the throat, chest and hands, which allows you to wear mink coats trimmed with sable fur at very low temperatures without the risk of catching a cold.
In addition, with proper care, mink coats can serve their owners for many years, even in the capricious climate of Moscow. This means that it is more profitable to buy such a product than a cheap one-day product.
Honorik
The animal is an artificially bred derivative of the mink and ferret. Honorica fur is used as a good, more affordable alternative to expensive material for the majority of consumers.
Products in this category differ from natural sheared mink primarily in their shade. Honorik's fur is more contrasting. The down here is distinctly light, and the hard pile is dark.
Another sign of an attempt to pass one off as another is the size of the layers of material that are used to make the fur product. Since honorik is larger in size compared to its ancestors, the segments here will be larger. Naturally, this method of identifying a fake is relevant only if the design of the fur coat does not involve sewing from small pieces of fur.
Where is the best place to buy a sheared mink coat?
Experts in the fur business recommend buying mink coats in Europe. In this case, you can count on the highest quality of the product and confident guarantees. This does not mean at all that you cannot purchase a decent fur product in domestic stores. But it is better to make purchases in branded boutiques with a proven reputation. The prices there are higher than average, but the sellers give their customers a guarantee on all goods. Even if something happens to the fur coat a few months after purchase, the defect will be corrected, and completely free of charge.
It is highly not recommended to buy sheared mink in the markets. There is too high a chance of cheating. For the price of a mink you can get a sheared rabbit and, of course, there can be no guarantees.
How to identify natural dyed material?
Sheared mink is often treated by dyeing due to the demand for products in unnatural shades. To distinguish natural dyed mink from the fur of other animals, it is enough to pay attention to several points:
- Even when dyed, sheared mink has a uniform shine over the entire area of the product.
- After processing the fur by shortening the pile, natural mink retains its hard guard hairs. If, when stroking the material against the grain, the latter are not found, most likely, there is an artificial base or the fur of another animal.
- The mink's underfur is thick and dense.
What is the price
The price of a fur coat with cut or plucked pile is high. Clothes made from regular mink are considered a cheaper option. But at the same time, sheared fur loses in operation. The cost of the product directly depends on the length, style, color, processing technology, and manufacturer. Exclusive designer items can be very expensive. The average price of a fur coat in a good fur store starts from 120-150 thousand rubles. A short product can be purchased cheaper.
Recommendations for purchasing a quality product
If you decide to purchase a fur coat made of natural fur, then you should go shopping in a store that has been able to establish itself well in the market and is able to provide the buyer with guarantees and certification of its products. There is no need to chase savings and look for cheap options in the market. In these places, counterfeits are most common , and making a return in this case will be very difficult.
It is worth taking a closer look at how to distinguish a natural mink coat.
- Mink fur is much denser. Once you run your hand along the pile against its growth, it should quickly return to its original position. With its increased elasticity and rigidity, the fur will not itch much.
- Beautiful undercoat, awn equal in length. If you start to disguise a fake, then in most cases you will have to cut the guard hairs so that their length is at the same level. It is in this case that the fur will strongly prick the skin.
- When pinching, no hairs should remain on the surface of the hand.
- Mink skin has a characteristic shine. In some cases, single white hairs can be seen on undyed pile.
- You should run a white napkin over the fur. There should be no paint marks left on it.
- The total pile height on the entire product should be approximately the same. There should be no visible bald spots on the finished product, no bald spots of any kind, and no bumps.
- Good sellers of quality fur do not add additional lining, making it possible to inspect the quality of the fur. It should be light or creamy in color and elastic.
- The fur coat should not rattle while shaking.
- It is worth checking for the presence of a seal from the manufacturers on each skin. It is this seal that will confirm that this is mink.
- You should carefully inspect all seams. They must be thin, even, and rollable. In some cases, the manufacturer sews leather between fragments of such skin. The fewer such areas there are, the higher the cost of the product itself. If you notice glue, then the best thing in this case would be to simply refuse to purchase such a fur coat. The technology in which the skin is glued together rather than stitched will not allow the item to last a long time.
