Here comes winter. It may be more calendar-based for now, but who knows what the weather will surprise us with tomorrow? Some weather forecasters promise temperatures down to minus 30, and it is better to be prepared for this. But what to wear to be fully prepared even in severe frosts? A good old fur coat, a fashionable sheepskin coat, a down jacket that is popular today? To find the best option, we decided to conduct our own research. To do this, we walked along the city streets in each of the winter “outfits”, and also found out how, under their cover, the Arctic degree and the average temperature of the Belarusian winter of recent years are tolerated.
Benefits of natural fur
Mink is considered one of the most common furs, and this is no coincidence, because it has a number of positive qualities, namely:
- Wear resistance . Mink fur does not require complex care and, if you follow basic rules, can delight you with its beauty for at least 10 years.
- Frost resistance . Mink fur is not afraid of frost; it goes without saying that it cannot be cold in it. To store it, you should choose the coolest place in the house.
- Presence of thick down . Since mink fur differs from others in having the thickest down, this provides it with excellent heat-saving characteristics that guarantee that you will be warm even in the most severe frosts.
Advantages of a transverse mink coat
Of course, every potential buyer is interested in what advantages a future purchase will bring him. He also needs to know what advantages there are over other types of fur, and whether it is worth purchasing the transverse model. Among the positive aspects are the following:
- Cross fur coats appeared on the market not so long ago, so they look fresher , more modern and are very popular. The bulk of the world's shows are filled with just such models. Increasingly, not only young girls, but also mature women prefer to choose them.
- Availability of transformer options . In classic models, you cannot unfasten the bottom or sleeves, unlike the transverse ones. For many, this is a big advantage because by purchasing one item you can experiment. This is especially convenient for car ladies, when sitting behind the wheel in a long product is not only inconvenient, but also impractical.
- A transverse mink coat does not require additional framing , decorative inserts, or buttons. It looks self-sufficient and presentable without unnecessary elements.
- Another advantage is the opportunity to experiment with styles , which will allow you to diversify your winter wardrobe. Some girls are convinced that fur coats add age and are only suitable for older women. With transverse models, this stereotype dissipates, since manufacturers offer a wide variety of styles, including those that suit a sporty look.
- One-piece options are usually made in standard colors, which cannot be said about transverse ones. Therefore, if you want a specific color, then finding the required option will not be difficult.
What criteria determine whether a fur coat will be warm?
The cold season has arrived and you need to buy a good, high-quality mink coat that will keep you warm even in severe frosts, how to do this? Here are some criteria:
- If a mink coat is really high quality, then it should have insulation . After all, if this part is missing, then the manufacturer has decided to save money, thereby reducing the quality of the product.
- The quality of the skins must be good. If they are cracked and greatly stretched, then their service life is reduced significantly, and heat retention is much worse. As a result, even with minimal frosts, such a fur coat will be very cold. If the product is of high quality, then the lining is not stitched to the fur coat and the buyer can personally see the quality of the skins.
- The choice of style also matters when choosing a fur coat. This is especially important for protection from strong winds and severe frosts. However, this criterion only applies to those people who live in cold regions and are preparing for the most difficult running tests. For example, to protect from the piercing wind and severe frost, it is advisable to choose a long, loose-fitting fur coat with a high collar or hood. The fur in such a fur coat should have a thick and dense undercoat.
Minus five - time to put on a fur coat?
Samuel Marshak claimed: in December all the trees are silver. Today there is no frost visible on the branches, but the snow has finally fallen. The thermometer shows minus five, time to put on a fur coat. I ask my colleague, photojournalist Irina Savosina, to be a model and try on several types of outerwear. The starting exit is in a fur coat. Just ten years ago, a fur coat indicated a certain status of the housewife. And there wasn’t much of an alternative to it: even in severe cold you won’t freeze in such an outfit. Of course, each fur warms in its own way - for example, a mink coat is warmer than its rabbit counterpart. And ours is based on nutria, which adds a couple more degrees of heat. Is not it? Ten minutes of walking along a city street - and Irina shares her feelings: - Light, warm, comfortable.
In principle, you can already wear a fur coat all the time. I remember how she once helped me out on a business trip: the temperature that day dropped below 20, I had to stand at the bus stop, but I almost didn’t feel the cold. Another promenade - in a sheepskin coat. For the purity of the check, we record the same period of time. The result is similar, the heat temperature is optimal. A fashionable sheepskin coat, as we have seen, is also good protection from the cold. Well, what about a coat with synthetic insulation? Alas, Irina froze in it after two or three minutes! He states: you want to move faster and faster in order to warm up. Perhaps an extra sweater or warmer scarf would help in this situation. But this is a different, unplanned perspective of the experiment. Our task is to complete the first stage of research.
You won't be particularly warm in a padded coat in winter.
Half an hour to warm up at home, and then go out again in a down jacket. The filling is not eiderdown (namely, it is considered the warmest), but still one of the top ones: goose down. In any case, this is what the manufacturer assures. Photocor confirms that the filler heats:
“Perhaps even too much.” But it’s better than a piercing chill, as in the previous version.
It's warm in a down jacket and in an underground garage.
After an hour and a half, we summarize: three pluses against one minus. Synthetic winterizer is clearly not the kind of insulation that will reliably protect against sub-zero temperatures.
Will a fur coat keep you warm in cold weather?
For a fur coat to keep you warm even in severe frosts, it is advisable to choose Russian brown mink, which was bred for the coldest winters. The next option to choose from is Scandinavian and Canadian mink, which are distinguished by very warm fur and high wear resistance, as they are intended for the cold northern winter.
As for Chinese mink, this is the most budget-friendly, but not high-quality option. Her fur does not retain heat well and will not last long. Such a fur coat is an excellent choice for going to the theater, but it is not suitable for long periods of exposure to the cold.
Disadvantages of a transverse mink coat
Before making such an expensive purchase, it is worth considering all sorts of nuances. It costs a lot of money, so it won’t be very pleasant if the desired item soon disappoints. The disadvantages of transverse fur coats include the following:
- Since the product is made from pieces, wear resistance suffers . Some manufacturers do not follow the technique for laying out fur plates and do not take into account the direction of the pile. For this reason, the stripes may look slightly different, which cheapens the look.
- the joint of the skins is striking . Usually it is not very noticeable, but sometimes it is quite pronounced. It is located on the back along the spine and may not look very beautiful. Many girls even believe that this is a defect, but such a joint is present on all “transverses”.
- Manufacturers often save on the number of skins used . They begin to stretch them too much, which affects the quality of the item and its heat resistance. This confuses buyers. They think that if the stripes are wider, it means the animal was larger, but this is often not the case.
- If a woman is plump, then this model should be abandoned. Horizontal laying of skins can add additional kilograms, so it is suitable only for slender and tall ladies.
- Classic models will never go out of fashion, which cannot be said about cross fur coats. Fashion is very fleeting and can change after just a few seasons. Therefore, if you only have enough money for one purchase, then a solid fur coat may be the most suitable option.
What to do if you are freezing in a fur coat?
“I’m freezing in a mink coat!” — such indignation can often be found on women's forums. What can you advise in this case? In most cases, insufficient fur density makes the mink coat cold. This point can be solved by the presence of insulation . If it is not there, then you can contact any studio for help. During the process of sewing insulation, a special material is placed under the lining to retain heat. It doesn't add extra weight and is highly breathable.
Is it possible to return a fur coat?
It is almost impossible to return or exchange a worn fur coat, but a new one is easy, since the store gives a warranty period for the product, during which the buyer must decide whether the fur coat suits him or not.
There may be several reasons for the return: it does not fit in size, color, style, or the quality of the skins. In most cases, you can return money for a product or exchange it within 14 days after purchase, but there are stores that extend the warranty period to a month or more. For its part, the buyer must retain all trademarks, price tags, and labels.
Finally
The ideal time to wear a mink coat is frosty and dry weather. Any natural fur coats do not like rain and wet snow.
If bad weather strikes you at the most inopportune moment, then it’s enough to shake the item well and hang it in the room. All villi will straighten out on their own and return to their previous state. It is strictly forbidden to place a mink near heating devices. The fur will dry out on its own and will not lose its beauty. [Total: 2 Average: 3.5/5]
General information about mink coat
The main difference between transverse fur coats and other models is the location of the fur plates . If ordinary styles are made in this way, when the skins are sewn vertically, here they are arranged horizontally. This technique is used to make the product itself, as well as its components - sleeves, hood. The stripes are of the same width; the fur itself can be natural, dyed or tinted.
Product selection rules:
- The first thing you should pay attention to is fur . It should be soft to the touch, but you should feel gentle needles when you touch it. If you run your hand against the growth of the pile, it should return to its original position.
- The second important factor is gloss . Real mink shimmers even in cloudy weather.
- The color should be uniform , homogeneous, without any spots. If the fur coat is dyed, then it should be wiped with a damp cloth. The traces found indicate poor-quality painting.
- The reverse side of the skins of a good product has a soft structure without cracks and even seams. When palpating there should be no extraneous sounds or crunching.
- Of no small importance is the country of origin , as well as the origin of the animal itself. The best option is considered to be Scandinavian and Finnish mink.
Mezdra
Of course, it is the underside of the skin, that is, the inside, that is the main indicator of the quality of the fur. Thus, light, almost white flesh indicates a well-dressed skin. Also, the flesh should not be too hard, it should be elastic and stretch a little when stretched - this indicates that the skins were not specifically stretched to increase the volume of the fur. Yellow or dark flesh indicates that the fur is old, and such a product usually looks unpresentable (video).