Most furs consist of two types of hair: dense, short hair called underfur for warmth, and longer, stronger hair called guard hair, which provides protection from the elements.
Your fur garment with lots of guard hair can be worn when it’s raining or snowing. When going back inside, shake it out and place it on a well-padded hanger and leave it in a well-ventilated room (dark if possible), to dry slowly. Do not place your fur item in the sun when it’s wet. Keep it away from direct heat – otherwise the leather will shrink – and never use a blow dryer. Don’t comb or brush it when it’s wet.
Furs that have no guard hair visible have been sheared. Mink fur commonly will be sheared to reduce its weight, but due to the guard hair not “guarding” the underfur, it is therefore exposed and water droplets could reach down to the leather. Plucking is what’s also done to women (ouch) in beauty salons; the whole guard hair, oftentimes of mink and beaver, will be ripped out.
Which type of fur is right for me?
Choosing a furry piece depends on your lifestyle. Most popular furs for women are mink, fox and chinchilla (from Canadian farms). When plucked or sheared, the fur article will become lighter and sleeker for a more feminine form. For men it’s otter, fisher and coyote (do you have a vision of Mountain Man?).
Consider these 5 scenarios.
Keeping warm: Say you’ll be exploring an area of the Arctic or be mushing your dogs, then use caribou (their hollow guard hair keeps warmth locked in!) or a goose down-filled strong coat with a wolverine, wolf or coyote ruff. If breath accumulates on your hood lining, wolverine fur is best because you can just flick the droplets off. In general, a garment with lots of underfur keeps you warmest.
Keeping dry: If you live in an area that’s damp a lot of the time, then fur lining (the fur’s hair is inside the coat, keeping you toasty when the humidity is jungle-like) or fur with lots of guard hair like beaver, mink, sable (marten) or coyote is the way to go. Don’t use sheared or plucked furs, as the water would penetrate the leather.
Durability: The most durable furs are otter, beaver and mink, then raccoon, coyote, marten and fisher. Your vest will also last longer if it’s not sheared, plucked, or dyed.
Appearance: Dark furs will hide dirt better. Furs with long guard hair will repel it. Should you be wanting to sip your martini outside a bar in balmy Palm Springs, then opt for lightweight chinchilla, fox or rabbit.
Cost: Quality, size, length and processing/manufacturing/workmanship will determine the cost. The most expensive furs are mink, sable, fisher, bobcat, lynx and chinchilla. Creative new designs with technological advances will produce a coat that is knitted, has intarsia, is dyed or combined with other furs or shearling (sheepskin). A full-length coat of mink, fox or beaver can be had from $5,000 to $10,000. Half of that price gives you a muskrat, possum or raccoon coat. The cheapest is a coat made from rabbit fur.
A word on sealskin: this is the most durable of all furs because of its thick leather, but it has no underfur, just guard hair, and is therefore not that warm. Nor can it be worked into a body-hugging tailored short coat.
How to wear your fur jacket
Should you decide to wear perfume, make-up and hair spray, it is a good idea to wear a (silk) scarf around your neck so as not to stain the fur, which will absorb these products. Our smell-good spritzes contain alcohol which will dry the leather and stiffen the guard hair, remove the fur jacket’s sheen and make it sticky, which then will attract dust that will stick to it.
Don’t wear brooches. If you must, do it on a piece you won’t be hanging on to, or which is not a family heirloom. The pin of the brooch stabs a hole in the fur’s leather which could become a tear. Carry a purse as opposed to a bag with a shoulder strap. A strap will break the hair or create a bald patch.
When you’ll be sitting down, remove your coat and hang it on the chair, place it across your lap or, if you’re keeping it on, hitch it up so that you won’t be stretching the leather.
This column has been compiled with information gleaned from fur.ca.
