Caring for your Fur

Caring for your Fur

Your fur takes care of you all winter long. Take care of it in the summer months and it will give you many years of enjoyment. Following are some key tips for caring for your fur:

1. It is important to store furs in a professional, climatically controlled storage facility to prevent the skins from drying out and to protect against insect and heat damage. Over the years many argued that a cedar closet at home would work just as well as a vault. Fur vaults are generally set at between 40 - 50 degrees with humidity at 45 - 55%, considered to be ideal for the protection of the skins/fur. While the cedar does protect from insect damage it does not provide this optimal heat/humidity environment.
2. Professional furriers will either have their own climate controlled vaults or will rent space in huge fur storage facilities. Make sure that the storage facility you choose is temperature and humidity controlled. Ask about the settings for both. And make sure that the place you select to store has insurance coverage to protect your garment while in their facility.
3. While home storage is not advised for any fur, if you must store at home place smaller pieces (hats for example) in the refrigerator (not the freezer) and cover coats and jackets with some type of protective cloth. Many furriers can make you silk or cotton bags for your garment. NEVER STORE YOUR GARMENT IN PLASTIC BAGS!
4. If you must store at home use a cloth cover or bag (cotton or silk) and a hanger with broad or padded shoulder to maintain the shape of the coat.
5. It is no surprise that furs gather dust and dirt and furs should be cleaned once a year by a professional furrier to maintain their luster. Unlike cloth which is cleaned by immersion fur is cleaned by abrasion. They are tumbled in a drum with sawdust that has been soaked in a specially formulated solution. The sawdust absorbs the dirt and oils. The garment is then glazed to bring out the sheen and make it soft and fluffy. Flat curly furs such as broadtail are pressed with a special type of waxed paper to give them added sheen. NEVER attempt to clean a fur garment at home nor use a commercial dry cleaner or solvent. These solvents and processes may leave the fur flat or may cause the fur to fall out in some instances. Fur-trimmed garments should be treated like furs and cleaned only by a furrier. This is true of accessories too. The cloth shell of a garment with a removable lining must be dry-cleaned while the liner must be fur-cleaned.
6. Professional furriers will have their own cleaning facilities or will have made arrangements with respectable facilities specializing in fur cleaning and glazing. It is important that they have the correct cleaning equipment.
7. If you spill liquids or juice dab (DO NOT RUB) the excess moisture away and leave the rest to your furrier. Again, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAN YOUR FUR AT HOME.
8. Normal amounts of water (from rain, for example) do not harm fur. Animals do get wet after all. If your fur gets wet simply shake it out and hang it in a dry space. Normally any odor will dissipate but if an odor persists take it to your furrier. The oils in perfumes or odor solvents may damage the fur. If matting occurs, which may be more likely to happen with sheared furs, the coat should be taken to a furrier for proper treatment.
9. Some furs require special attention in the cleaning process. These include white and light-colored furs such as white mink, fox, chinchilla and ermine. Natural sunlight can add a yellow tint to these furs over time. To remedy this, furriers will add a special bleach whitener to white furs or a brightener to pale furs.
10. Repairing fur garments is not like mending cloth. Repairs made from the outside are only temporary. For proper repairs the coat must be opened (the lining removed) and the sewing must be done from "inside". A heavy needle and heavy duty thread should be used. Most tailors, seamstresses or sewing mavens are not versed in the proper methods for opening and sewing fur. Here again, for lasting repairs a garment should be brought in to a professional furrier.

One of the beauties of fur is that it can be repaired or remodeled over time to provide a garment that can be worn for many, many years. If sections of fur are worn away matching fur can be found and sewn in to replace the worn sections.

Classic Fur Styles When it comes to fur styles, there is something to suit every one's fancy, from Young & Cool to Runway Trends to The Classics. The first time fur buyer would be wise to choose a more traditional, conservatively cut garment due to the nature of the investment. A classic fur garment utilizes clean, simple styling and uncluttered lines. The most versatile style in a fur is a full-length coat because it goes with everything from pants to skirts to formal wear. Other lengths include the following: Stroller is a term that generally refers to a longer jacket. Three quarter length or mid calf length is a coat that covers 3/4 of the garment worn beneath it. Seven eighths length or knee length is a coat that conceals 7/8 of the garment worn beneath. Greatcoat is an ultra long, full-length coat, loosely cut sometimes even grazing the ankle. This is the most formal of all styles, perfect for evening wear.

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