How to choose fur on a fur coat. How to choose the right mink coat: expert advice. Natural fur or fake: how to distinguish a mink

Sable fur coats - the trend of the season

No matter how I try, I cannot understand the classic with his optimistic: "And we are glad to the mischief of mother winter." The lower the thermometer goes outside the window, the more often the hand reaches into the closet for bulky sweaters, thick trousers and cozy woolen scarves. And every time, before leaving the house, you have to scrutinize yourself in the mirror - after all, in the reflection, even in the cold, you want to see the Snow Maiden, and not the snow woman!

And the designers say correctly that you can look really beautiful and elegant in cold weather only in a fur coat.

An indisputable fact: fur clothes have long gone beyond their original purpose - to protect a person from the cold. Elite fur along with jewelry serves rather a sign high status, luxurious "frame" for a proud and beautiful lady.

The love of Russian women for furs is something genetic. But often, we simply do not know how to choose fur, which means that we buy not quite high-quality fur products.

How to choose the right fur coat, and what you should pay the main attention to - helped us to understand these issues Russian designer German Shalumov.

Herman, now in Moscow one after another fur fairs are held, which offer fur products in incredible quantities, as they say "for every taste and color." Your opinion, is it worth blindly trusting what the sellers advise us?
- Every year I am convinced of one thing, our people do not understand fur at all, and, in principle, do not know how to distinguish good fur from marriage. A quality fur coat is worth good money- 250-350 thousand rubles for a product just below the knee, while fairs offer us a mink coat for 70-100 thousand rubles. It is clear that these skins are either defective initially, or dyed or tinted. It is simply unrealistic to dump with the price that the fairs offer to us furriers.

There are five world auctions where the price of skins is the same everywhere. Mink is like a diamond, like gold, a truffle ... The price for it is fixed, only marriage is cheaper.

Our women, unknowingly, go to fairs and blindly trust what the sellers say. Or another example, no one really knows what it is black lama but all the girls think it's cool! In fact, it’s not like that. Black lama- this is a North American mink, but it is no better than ours or the Scandinavian, on the contrary, it has disadvantages - it wears off faster, but costs more.

So what are we buying for 100 thousand at the fair?
- Mink grown in China, dyed or tinted. Low price have fur coats made of ridges, tummies, tails, legs - the price for them is very low.

And yet, which fur coat is better to buy, and most importantly, how to choose it correctly?
- The first and main rule is that a fur coat should be made of whole skins, no "dissolution", no legs. Fur - if it is of good quality, it will never be dyed. It's easy to check, ask the seller to rip off the lining and show the inside of the hide. If it is tinted, it will differ by two or three tones from the color of the fur coat. Second, pay attention to the fur itself. The main thing is that there are no "bald patches" on it. By choosing mink coat, turn it upside down with the collar and stroke with your hand "against the grain", the villi should not remain on the hand. The underside of the fur should be soft and pleasant to the touch, never like paper.

But my biggest tip: buy quality fur coat, do not skimp on fur. If you do not have the opportunity to buy good thing, better buy a down jacket or a sheepskin coat!

Dresses from Vera Wang

Rhinestones? Rabbit! Crocodile…

Armed with this knowledge, on the weekend I went to fur fair... Realizing what is presented here great amount fur brands, I did not expect to find such a stunning variety of models and options. The choice turned out to be quite large and is not at all limited to the traditional options.

Mink, sable, lynx, rabbit actually have something to choose from. Combined with leather, trimmed with lace, embellished with rhinestones ... Among traditional fur coats and coats, there are mainly fitted silhouettes with an A-shaped skirt under the belt. There are many models with fur trim, be it the classic trim of the collar, cuffs or bottom of outerwear, or very unexpected voluminous fur inserts along the entire length of the sleeves or at the waist. And to the great joy of animal protectors, all these fashionable solutions can be made not only from natural fur. Artificial options by the way, sometimes they look no less impressive.

Most easy way to be fashionable this season - to purchase a mink cape. If you approach the choice correctly and buy a high-quality, warm, natural thing, it will warm you even at very low temperatures. In addition, the owner of such a cape will stand out noticeably in the somewhat monotonous mass of coat owners. Appearance in the world in such an outfit, in a "frame" of a soft mink airy cape - one hundred percent guarantee of stunning success.

The girls' best friends are not only diamonds, but also luxurious fur coats that haunt both the inhabitants of snowy and frosty latitudes and the paradise corners of our wonderful planet warmed by the sun. Every self-respecting dreamer about expensive, fluffy and warm must know how to choose the right fur coat so that it becomes not just a reliable protection from severe frosts, but a real decoration. Fur coat - more than warm clothes... It is rather a symbol of status, prosperity, and in general a woman's solvency and the presence in her close environment of a generous and loving "patron", well, or at least not cheap and gentle, which is also not bad, although with love it is, of course, more sincere and warmer. A fur coat is a unique thing, because it is purchased, like jewelry, mainly not for their own money, but for "sponsorship", but the choice always remains with the lady.

What you need to know before buying

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How to choose the right fur coat for yourself

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Clothing market or shop

Buying a fur coat on the clothing market is tantamount to purchasing a pig in a poke. Does a cat fur coat suit you? Then everything is in order 🙂 In general, such serious and expensive purchases should be made only in a specialized store, boutique or salon selling fur and leather, which has been operating under the name of a well-known brand for several years.

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Choosing a fur coat model

First of all, decide for what purpose you are purchasing a fur coat. The choice of model will depend on your answer. If you have to spend a lot of time outdoors, it is better to choose a long fur coat with dense thick fur. If you drive a car and it is he who is your main means of transportation, the ideal option is a short fur coat or a fur jacket with comfortable sleeves that do not hinder movement. A universal solution for slushy days and daily driving on public transport is a short fur coat. In this case, you will have to forget about light fur and too long a hem. If you cannot afford to renew your fur and fur stocks every season, give preference to classic products made from high-quality raw materials, which successfully migrate from season to season, without losing their relevance and presentable appearance... Ultramodern models with piquant newfangled chips by next year may lose all their piquancy and popularity and you will simply be left out of business with an expensive thing that does not bring any pleasure.

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Determining the quality of fur

So you want it to be beautiful and warm, and not very expensive! How to find the middle ground? The value of fur is determined by the density of the pile, its height, softness and gloss. High-quality fur is distinguished by its rich color, elasticity, silkiness, dazzling shine and the absence of an unpleasant "greasy" feeling when touched.

By weight, fur is usually divided into heavy - raccoon dog, wolf, otter, sable, arctic fox, beaver, astrakhan fur; moderate - rabbit, mink, nutria, squirrel, muskrat, ferret; and very light - gopher, hamster, hare. The weight of the product also depends on the dressing of the skin - the better the dressing, the lighter it is. However, a coat that is too light should also alert you. The fact is that furriers, in pursuit of saving fur, often stretch the skin more than necessary - the thickness of the skin and the weight decrease, and the distance between the hairs grows, and you get a cold fur coat with thin fur.

For severe frosty winters, a fur coat made of arctic fox, muton, sable, wolf or fox is best suited. Poorly warms the fur of a marmot, goat, sheared rabbit and ermine. And by choosing a gopher or a hamster, you generally run the risk of dying. These cute animals will warm only the soul, and even then only in a living form. Although for a metropolis in the middle lane, a lightweight winter option may turn out to be quite reasonable. If winter is not particularly severe in your region, there are frequent thaws, cold rain is drizzling or sleet is falling, it is more advisable to rely on waterproof furs, for example, beavers or otters.

The service life of the product directly depends on the wear resistance of the fur. The otter fur will serve for the longest time - up to 20 seasons! River beaver - 18 winters, fur seal - 17, mink - 10, astrakhan, marten and blue fox - 7, nutria and fox - 5, marmot and squirrel - 4, rabbit - 2, hare - only one winter.

Never rush to buy. Consider everything carefully, feel, smell, pull, pinch, try on ... A quality product will withstand all your executions without any problems. Having laid out the fur coat on the counter, take a close look at the fur - it should be thick, shiny, with a solid undercoat and without bald spots. Be sure to check the fur for stability. To do this, just stroke your favorite fur coat against the grain. If you notice that the guard hair breaks during this manipulation, and villi remain on the palm of your hand, it means that after a couple of seasons your fur coat will shine with a decent baldness. A high-quality product will not be "offended" even if you try to pinch off a piece of fur from it - it will remain in its proper place, and will not end up in your hands.

If you liked a fashionable dyed coat, check the durability of the dyeing with an ordinary white handkerchief, which must be passed over the pile. If the handkerchief remains clean, you can be sure that the coat will not "float" in the rain.

Fur will not be superfluous and sniff! Yes, choosing a fur coat is not an easy task, you will have to use all your senses. Who told you it would be easy? Sniff! An unpleasant, pungent smell should alert you - the skin was most likely made in an artisanal way.

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The wrong side - we see at the root!

Well-known brands that produce fur products usually do not sew a lining at the bottom. This is a very good indicator that the manufacturer has nothing to hide and is confident in the quality of his product. If you liked the fur coat, and the lining turned out to be sewn on, you have every right to ask the seller to rip it up a little in order to examine the product comprehensively. In case of refusal, remember the pig in a poke and do not be stupid - the case is clearly rubbish.

It is the wrong side of the fur coat that will allow you to check the quality of the dressing of the skins, the seams and the dimensions of the plates. The flesh should be supple and soft to the touch. If the skin rustles and crunches during compression, the fur is overdried and the fur coat will be short-lived. For unpainted products back side the skins should remain white. The yellow color of the flesh indicates old, stale fur. The seams should be sewn neatly and thinly, hardly probing. A high-quality expensive fur coat should be sewn from whole skins. If we are talking about a mink beloved by many ladies, the size of the pieces should be 15x15. The use of "half-plates" is still half the trouble, but a product made of very small pieces after a couple of seasons can begin to creep at the seams. By the way, it's worth making sure whether the fur coat is sewn or glued. And this is possible. The glued coat is very likely to come unstuck under the first snowfall.

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Brand markings

A high-quality fur product must have branded tags that inform the buyer about the manufacturer and the method of caring for the fur coat. Moreover, the labels should be in several places at once. Vigilant buyers can often identify a counterfeit if the information indicated on the label in the upper part of the lining is not consistent with the markings on other parts of the product.

Do not forget that all fur products sold in Russia are subject to mandatory certification, so do not hesitate to ask the seller to show you a certificate of conformity for a fur coat - this is your legal right.

On chilly winter days, nothing will warm you like a fur coat made of natural fur. She has been and remains the dream of every woman, since ancient times, when animal skins were the first man's clothing. Nowadays, a fur coat not only gives warmth and comfort in the harsh winter time, but is also a sign of taste, wealth, and status of a woman. If you fall asleep and wake up with the thought of a fur coat or freeze in front of the windows of fur salons, mentally trying on an outfit for yourself, then it's time to go in search of a suitable option, armed with information about which fur coat is better to buy for the winter so that it will serve more than one season and pleased with its warmth, comfort, beauty. Today we will tell you which fur is better for a fur coat and what basic requirements must be met for fur products. Knowing everything about furs, you can safely go in search of the fur coat of your dreams.

The main characteristics of fur products

Natural fur is very expensive, so the choice of a fur coat must be approached with all responsibility. The main requirements for fur products are:

• Thermal characteristics. The ability of a fur coat to warm its owner depends on the length of the product, the density of the fur, and the elasticity of the pile.
• Weariness. This is one of the main properties of fur. Many factors affect durability - both the quality of the fur and the conditions for its storage.

Let's consider each characteristic of the product in more detail.

Heat-shielding properties

The heat-shielding properties of animal skins depend on the following factors:

• Length, elasticity of the pile.
• Hair thickness, down.
• The amount of air bubbles inside and between the hairs.
• Looseness of the flesh. Very often, in order to reduce the weight of the product, the flesh is stretched. As a result, the gaps between the hairs increase, and the air gap decreases.

If we classify animal skins by heat-shielding properties, then the coldest are:

Average thermal characteristics are:

The most warm furs in the following animals:

• When choosing a product, be sure to check the density of the underfill. Run your hand over the coat and against it, and you will see the density of the fur, down. Blow on the layer: if the villi immediately return to their place, then the fur is of high quality. The thicker the pile, the thicker the fur layer, the warmer the product.
• The hair should be long and shiny. The longer it is, the warmer the fur coat will be. In fox, wolverine, arctic fox and raccoon hair length can reach 40 mm, in muskrat, sable 25-40 mm, in mink - 25 mm. Arctic fox is able to withstand temperatures up to - 60 degrees, thanks to its long pile. Arctic fox fur coats are able to warm you in the coldest winter. In addition, the fur of this animal looks luxurious; blue fox fur coats are especially appreciated.

What is the best fur for a fur coat?

To decide which material to choose a fur coat from, you must first answer two questions.

Purpose of purchase

If you need clothing “for going out,” then the issues of thermal performance and wear take a back seat. More often in this case, the decisive factor is the brand and the impressive figure on the price tag:

• As an indicator of your own prestige, skins of chinchilla, ermine, mink are suitable. Remember that such products are sewn on a lining without insulation, so in cold weather you can freeze in such a coat.
• A fur coat designed to protect against frost and wind should be of fox or muton fur.

Important! Choose models made of solid fur to wear. They keep you warm in cold weather better than products sewn from separate plates. Sheared fur also cannot boast of its heat-shielding properties.

Conditions under which you will wear the product

For humid climates, furs of waterfowl are suitable. For example:

In severe frosts, they will better warm:

For a milder “European” climate, the following are suitable:

Overview of the properties of different furs

Let's compare animal furs in terms of thermal characteristics in order to answer the question, beaver or mink fur coat - which is better?

• Mink and beaver. The fur of these animals is beautiful, practical and durable. However, a beaver fur coat definitely wins in terms of keeping warm.
• Mink and muton. Of course, a mink coat emphasizes the status of a woman, as it looks luxurious, rich, and is very expensive. However, the mouton is ahead of the mink in terms of thermal characteristics. Mouton is a specially processed sheepskin, and products made from it tend to maintain an optimal temperature.

Important! If before the product from the muton did not have a very attractive appearance, today the fur coats look no worse than mink coats, thanks to special processing and painting. In addition, the muton is resistant to dampness, durability, and it is not difficult to take care of such products.

• Fox. Fox fur coats are considered the warmest because of the length and density of the pile. Models made of silver fox are soft and beautiful.

Important! Fur coats made of black and silver fur belong to the category of elite clothing.

Fur wear is one of the main characteristics of the product

The cost of fur products is quite high, and it is absolutely impractical to buy them for one season. It is very important that the purchased fur coat serves its mistress for more than one season, while maintaining its original attractive appearance.

Wear is one of the properties of fur and depends on the following factors:

• Wear resistance of the pile.
• The strength of the bond between leather tissue and hairs.
• Wear resistance of leather.
• Dressing and dyeing.
• Storage conditions.

The furs of the following animals are considered the most wear-resistant:

1. Otter. You can wear an otter product for 20 years. The wear of otter fur is considered to be 100%, and the wear of other types of fur is calculated in relation to this indicator.
2. Sable. I will delight products from sable fur for 12 seasons.
3. Mink will delight its owner for 10 years.
4. Raccoon - 9 seasons.
5. Marten and Arctic fox - up to 7 seasons.
6. Sheepskin and astrakhan fur will delight the owner of 6 years.
7. Nutria and fox - about 5.
8. Sheared rabbit - 4 seasons.
9. Hare. The most fragile is the hare's fur. A fur coat made of it will last only 1 season.

Important! The wear of the product is determined not only by the natural properties of the skin, but also by the processing method and the skill of the manufacturer. The wear index of the product will be higher if the fur is "winter". It is distinguished by a thick down and a higher density and length. And vice versa - during the molting period of animals, the strength of the connection between the flesh and the hair decreases. These skins are not of high quality.

Fur dyeing also reduces the wear rate by 10-20%. But a haircut, on the contrary, increases this indicator by 20-40%. Therefore, sometimes long fur is sheared in order to prevent felting and breaking off. It should be remembered that sheared fur of ermine, gopher and rabbit warms much worse.

• Choose fur products exclusively from manufacturers of northern countries - Canada, Russia, USA, Finland. Natural thick fur can only be grown in colder climates.
• When purchasing a fur coat, check the fur. Crumple up its edge - it should easily return to its original position. Smell the fur - a high-quality skin does not have harsh chemical and biological odors.

How to choose a fur product for years to come?

Pay attention to the following signs of the quality of a fur product in order to finally decide which fur coat is better to buy for the winter:

• Kind of animal. Products with a short service life can be purchased for children. They grow quickly, and it is not necessary for them that the fur coat retains its attractive appearance for many years.

Important! Clothes from a rabbit, squirrel and hare (fur coats, hats, vests) are distinguished by good thermal qualities and a low price.

• Treatment. The flesh should be white and not make any sounds when shaken. If the skin is crunchy, it means that the fur is dry, and its yellow color indicates that the fur is old.

Important! Pay special attention to the lining: if it is not sewn on tightly, then this indicates that the manufacturer is confident in the quality of the product and allows the buyer to evaluate the dressing of the skin from the inside.

• Fur dyeing. Fur dyeing can be done for different purposes. Very often the manufacturer tries to hide product defects under the paint. For this, use dark shades... However, some fur needs to be dyed because it doesn't look very attractive in its original form, such as nutria. Today, dyeing is done with high-tech dyes that do not affect the quality of the fur. So, if you want to buy a purple fox fur coat, then get it.

Important! To check the quality of the dyeing and to see if the fur will get dirty during wear, wrap a few hairs with a handkerchief and rub a little. If there are no marks on the fabric, then you don't have to worry about the quality of the dyeing.

• Sewing. Allowed fur products, sewn "in the dissolution", and whole. Sewing depends on the fur of the animal:
  1. If the animal has a thick flesh (raccoon, nutria, beaver), then they usually sew products “in dissolution” so that the fur coat better “sits down” on the figure and does not look like a case.
  2. If the flesh is thin (mink), then the product, sewn "in dissolution" will give harmony to full ladies.

Important! In any case, the tailoring of the product depends on the style, length, color. Pay attention to the quantity and quality of the seams. The fewer there are, the stronger the fur product.

• Longer fit with a three-quarter length and adjustable cuffs. And vice versa - welt loops with fur trim and a zipper will very quickly disable the coat.
• To avoid the temptation to put a bunch of keys in your coat pocket and mobile phone at the same time, purchase a product with an inner pocket only.
• The best option for a coat belt is fur, as suede and leather belts quickly damage the pile.
• Buy a coat only in a fur salon or in a well-established store. Such companies care about their reputation and product quality. In addition, such a company will give you a 1 year warranty card.
• Beware of fake fur products. Sometimes an inexperienced buyer is offered products made from Canadian sable, but there is no such animal in nature. They sell marten under the guise of a sable. Of course, marten products are also very beautiful, but they cannot be compared with the Russian sable.

Important! You can tell a marmot from a mink by touch. Marmots have hair different lengths, but in a mink it is the same and does not prick.

• Pay particular attention to the seams. They must be sewn neatly and delicately. Feel the seams to make sure they are good. If they cannot be felt at all, then glue was used instead of threads. Such a coat can just fall apart after a few days.

Important! Seams on kinks and stretching parts of the cloak (armpits, finishing pockets, upper back) should be with built-in soft ribbons for reinforcement during stretching and deformation.

• The marking of the wrong side of a fur product must have information about the country of the manufacturer, the date of sewing (processing) of the fur.

Rules for the care of fur products:

1. Be sure to clean and dry your fur before storing it at the end of the winter season.
2. Store the product at home in a closed cabinet and a special case. The distance from the cabinet to the heaters must be at least 1 m.
3. Ventilate the product periodically during storage and renew the moth repellent in time. It is impossible to sprinkle the cloak with mothballs.
4. If the fur coat gets wet while wearing, then first shake it from excess moisture and lay it on a horizontal surface. Dry the product at room temperature, away from heaters and heating appliances. Gently comb the dried fur in the direction of the pile growth.
5. Hang the garment on wide-brimmed hangers.
6. Store products made of dyed and undyed fur nearby.

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The choice of a fur coat depends on lifestyle, personal preferences and financial capabilities. We hope that our tips and tricks helped you make right choice, and now a high-quality, beautiful fur miracle will delight you with its warmth for many years!

Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury. Coco Chanel

Which is better: a fur coat or a sheepskin coat?

Today, outerwear made from natural fur is represented mainly by fur coats and sheepskin coats. Therefore, before you go to the store for a fur product, you need to decide what exactly you need.

The main difference between a fur coat and a sheepskin coat is the location of the fur. So, a sheepskin coat has a top layer in the form of leather, while the pile is turned inward, which makes it a little warmer than a fur coat. This is due to a layer of warm air that is held together by the hairs of the fur.

Since the fur coat assumes the front position of the fur, then, accordingly, it will be a little cooler in it. But this does not mean at all that it is cold in winter. Even living in northern latitudes or in Siberia, a fur coat made of natural fur is able to warm and keep warm air inside the product.

In addition to the heating function, women's outerwear should delight and adorn its owner. In this matter, the undisputed leader will, of course, be a fur coat. Her luxurious iridescent pile will demonstrate the girl's chic and taste, as well as her wealth.

The ability to match fur to the color type of the appearance helps to create the most harmonious and stylish images, in which there will be no place for routine and boredom.

How to choose the size and style?

Almost every girl who buys a fur coat expects to wear it for more than one season. On average, one product can serve its owner faithfully for 5 to 10 years. Therefore, it is important to be very careful about choosing exactly “your” style, so that it will delight you for several winters and be relevant and fashionable all this time.

In order not to be mistaken with the size, when buying, it is important to pay attention to the following points:

Do not buy a fur coat if it is small or tight for you. Some girls hoping to throw off a few extra pounds, get things a little smaller.

If fashion jeans from the latest collection can still be used as a stimulus for correcting the figure, then such experiments should not be carried out with a fur coat made of natural fur, since there is a great risk of failing to cope with the task and being left without your favorite skin.

Remember that overly tight things, or worn back to back, do not slim, as many believe, but only emphasize the flaws in the figure.

If you can't decide between two sizes, choose the larger one. Don't forget that a fur coat is a winter wardrobe item, so an extra warm sweater underneath it never hurts. Unless, of course, you travel exclusively by car. Although even in this case, practical ladies will get themselves a thing with a "spare" in the form of half the size.

When trying on a fur coat, you should feel comfortable in it and literally fall in love with this fur. If, seeing yourself in the mirror in a fur coat, you are not satisfied with some insignificant detail, then most likely this is not your model. And if the details of the cut or inconveniently located seams interfere with you, then such a thing should be 100% set aside and try to pick up something else.

Particular attention should be paid to the style, because with it you can hide flaws and emphasize the dignity of your figure. So, for overweight ladies, it is recommended to select styles that hide body dimensions and volumes. This ideal option would be a slightly flared model, an A-line fur coat or a trapezoid. Length - from mid-thigh to mid-tibia. If you buy a longer product, it will add weight to the image, and a short one will not hide problem hips and buttocks.

Overweight girls should choose fur coats with short fur, using decor in the form of a chic polar fox hood or a silver fox collar as a decoration for the product.

Busty slender girls can afford straight fur coats with a belt that will accentuate the waistline and accentuate the chest. And if, on the contrary, you need to distract your eyes from a small chest, then you should choose a fur coat on a yoke - for example, a combined model with transverse skins on top of the chest and longitudinal along the rest of the length of the product.

If your strong point is long legs, but at the same time there are inconspicuous buttocks, then we recommend choosing a model of the “balloon” type, shortened to the middle of the thigh, with a drawstring along the bottom of the fur coat. Such an element is able to draw the attention of others to your legs, and a lace-up tightening will create a visual volume in the area of ​​the priests.

Having decided to buy yourself a fur coat with a transverse arrangement of skins, you need to very critically examine yourself in the mirror. Such a model will not suit large and overweight women, as it will give their silhouette an even greater visual volume. If you have a pleasant fullness, but at the same time have ideal proportions, then the "cross" can take place in your wardrobe, provided you choose a fur with a short nap. Pay attention to the sheared mink, muton, chinchilla, astrakhan fur.

Slender women can choose a cross cut in any styles and fur designs, since such a fur coat will look extremely harmonious and elegant on them.

If you cannot decide in any way with the location of the skins on your future fur coat, keep in mind that the "cross", in contrast to the classics:

• has an original look;
• looks more stylish and modern;
• able to hide figure flaws, adding the missing volume in the right places;
• helps the owner to look a little younger;
• looks much more luxurious;
• makes all the best qualities of the fur visible.

Which fur to choose?

Among the assortment of fur products presented today, it is very easy for an inexperienced consumer to get confused, because when choosing a fur coat, you really want to buy the warmest, wear-resistant and high-quality option. To do this, it is very important to decide on the fur from which your new outerwear will be made.

Mink

She deserves the name of the “queen of furs”. The texture of the mink has medium length pile with a rather thick undercoat, which perfectly retains heat inside. A wide range of natural shades is able to satisfy the needs of the most discerning fashionistas, fitting into any bold and extravagant outfits.

There are several types of mink according to the place of origin:

Scandinavian... the most common and affordable option. Such fur has slightly longer hairs and dense underfur, which makes it the most comfortable to wear in the Russian climate.

American... such fur is mined in Canada, and in comparison with European has much softer skins with a fluffy undercoat. Due to this, the cost of such fur is slightly overestimated.

Russian... This mink differs from the western height of the guard hair and the higher location of the underfur. This fur looks fluffy and shaggy, making it most comfortable to wear in temperate and northern latitudes.

The Russian mink is not afraid of humidity and too hot and dry air, which makes it possible to ventilate it in the fresh air in direct sunlight, burning out moth larvae.

Arctic fox

This fur has longer fur hairs than mink, which makes it ideal for decorating fur products. Differs in warmth, wear resistance, relative moisture resistance and excellent combination with other textures.

Mouton (sheepskin)

Until recently, the most popular fur of our grandmothers was considered a relic of the past, but today the giants of the fur industry have learned to make truly chic works of fur art from sheep's wool. Having a relatively low price, a muton fur coat is made in the most daring variations and colors, without losing its heating and wear-resistant properties.

Chinchilla

One of the most luxurious furs. It is distinguished by its special softness and silkiness, the undercoat has a height almost equal to the hairs.

A distinctive feature of the pile is the zoned color, which can give any product a chic and exclusive look.

Light as fluff, chinchilla fur is not available to a wide mass of buyers, as it has a rather high cost. In addition, it is very short-lived (maximum - 3 seasons) and does not tolerate moisture, upon contact with which the life of the fur is significantly reduced.

Beaver

One of the most durable furs - a beaver fur coat, if properly used, can safely serve its mistress for about 20 years. Beaver fur has a very thick undercoat and long guard hair, so a natural beaver can look like a mink. A shorn beaver is often confused with a rabbit - cut hard hairs flush with the undercoat are very reminiscent of its wool.

The natural beaver fur of a brownish-ash shade does not look very respectable, but, nevertheless, it has found many admirers among its owners. Due to the fact that a beaver fur coat cannot be cheap (due to the complexity of extraction, breeding and dressing of skins), many are ready to wear it in a natural color, demonstrating their taste and wealth.

Deciding on the color

In order to choose a fur coat that is ideal for you in all respects, it is important to take into account not only the features of your figure, but also your color type.

For "warm" blondes, the ideal option would be red and hazel - fox, lynx, light mink. For colder platinum blondes, blue mink and ermine are excellent options. We also advise you to consider the fur of a chinchilla or raccoon.

Brown-eyed brunettes can afford to wear black mink, silver fox or sheepskin. You can also try on fur in other dark shades.

Don't be afraid to purchase dyed items. To date, fur coat manufacturers have learned to give color to fur of a fairly high quality, so feel free to try on products of non-standard colors. But, having decided to buy such a fur coat, just in case, check the quality yourself, not relying on the advice of a meticulous seller. Just run a white scarf against the grain and along the undercoat - if traces of paint remain on it, then most likely this fur coat will not last you long, after a few seasons it will fade and lose its color.

A universal fur that will suit absolutely all color types is sable and muton.

An irreplaceable thing. Plus, real fur coats will never go out of style. However, when looking for the perfect model, there are many factors to consider. ELLE tips will help you understand how to choose a quality fur coat.

Photo by Åsa Tällgård

To answer the question of how to choose the right fur coat, you first need to decide on what kind of weather you will wear it. If a thirty-degree frost outside the window for your climatic zone is a common thing, then pay attention to the fur of a polar fox, fox, sable or muton. It is these types of fur that retain heat best. For a less severe climate, a hare, chinchilla, nutria and astrakhan fur coat is suitable. Stoat, mink and rabbit will only be appropriate in mild winters.

Fur coats made from rags, fashionable today, are significantly inferior to products made from whole skins both in terms of protection from the cold and in durability.

Another interesting point is that male fur coats are much warmer than female fur coats. They are denser, heavier and harder. The female's fur is light and elastic. Such products also differ in price: the female's fur is usually more expensive.

Photo by Åsa Tällgård

To understand how to choose a good fur coat, you also need to know whether it is made from the fur of a wild or farm-raised animal. The fur of wild animals is warmer and thicker. Moreover, it is more shiny. But such a product is also more expensive than an analogue made from the fur of animals raised in captivity.

One of the key characteristics of fur to look out for before deciding which fur coat to choose is durability. The otter fur, recognized as the standard of wear (100%), will last the longest. A fur coat made of this material can be worn for almost 20 years. This is followed by bear and beaver furs, which retain their qualities for 18 seasons. Sable, raccoon, mink and arctic fox will survive 8-10 years; marten, astrakhan fur, sheepskin, fox - 6 years; lynx, squirrel - from 4 to 5 years, ermine and rabbit - from 2 to 4. The most impractical in this regard is the fur of a hare, which loses its appearance after a year of wearing.

6 questions you must answer yourself before choosing a fur coat:

For what purpose do you want to buy a fur coat: will you wear it every day or for the occasion?

What color do you want to buy a fur coat?

Are you looking for a trendy, trendy fur coat or a timeless classic?

How long should a fur coat be?

Which silhouette are you going to choose?

How much are you willing to spend on a fur coat?

Photo by Åsa Tällgård

Only after answering all these questions, you can proceed to the deliberate choice of a fur product. If you have serious doubts on several points at once, then, most likely, in the store you will be confused even more.

A few more tips on how to choose the right fur coat:

In the store, carefully examine the product: the fur should be uniform, without bald spots and creases, of the same thickness and length throughout the product. If space permits, lay the fur coat on the floor and inspect it from afar - the color should be uniform, without spots or faded areas.

Ask a store consultant to try on a fur coat for yourself - this will make it easier to assess the symmetry of the cut.

Run your hand over the fur coat, pinch the fur. If villi remain in the palm, the fur coat will not last long.

Try crushing the fur in the palm of your hand. If the fur quickly takes on its original shape, then the product is of high quality.

Examine the lining carefully, check each seam. Conscientious manufacturers pay Special attention details and do not save on trifles - the seams should be even and neat, threads should not stick out of them.