Caring for Your Fur is Easy!

When you invest in a fur, it's important to take care of your investment. Here are a few tidbits for how to ensure that your fur lasts forever.

Fur is very sensitive to heat and light. When you're not wearing your fur, you want to store it in a cloth bag that is open at the bottom in a dark room. Don't surround fur coats with other clothing, as that can depress the fur, making it look old and unhealthy. Be careful not to store fur coats in an area with mothballs, and take mink jackets to the furrier during the summer. Cold storage will keep the skin in good condition.

Furriers are the right guys to take care of your fur. Dry cleaners do not know about how to treat different kinds of mink jackets, or fox fur coats, and confusing how to do so can damage your coat.

If your fur gets wet, simply shake out the excess moisture and hang it to dry. Any extreme heat or light will dry the skin out and make it crack.

Other than that, just be careful not to catch your fur jacket on any jewelry or belts, and if you see a small tear, repair it before it gets worse.

Fox and Mink: Great Furs to Wear

Here is some information about the animals that give us mink fur coats and fox fur coats. These mammals are found in most temperate parts of the world and to cope with harsh winters, often have dense, thick fur.

Fox is a beautiful fur that comes in a wide array of colors. The white fox lives in the arctic and the brown fox lives almost on every continent. Most of the fur comes from Finland, including the Natural Red Fox and the Blue Fox. Foxes are omnivores and live off of smaller mammals, eggs, fish, birds, and insects. They also eat berries and grasses. Fox fur coats are especially warm and fashionable.

The mink is a small semi aquatic weasel -like mammal, of the American and the European sort. These animals are small, and while most reach only a couple of pounds, farm raised mink can be up to 7 lbs. Their fur is extremely dense, dark brown, with occasional spots (particularly on the European mink) and a dark under fur. Because of its density, mink fur coats are extraordinarily warm. Mink always live near water, and although sometimes they wander to prey on animals like rabbits, they keep within territorial bounds.

The History of Fur

Fur has long stood as one of the best ways to keep warm. Animals are naturally blessed with coats of thick hair. To utilize the entire animal after a hunting party, the hides of the animals were used. Our ancestors understood the importance of not wasting any part of the animal and consequently tied furs together to stay warm during the colder months.

The oldest form of clothing, fur has long been regarded as a symbol of power. The ermine was long worn by royalty throughout Europe. Many ermine furs are necessary to make mens fur coats or sashes and the collecting of these furs took time and skill, something that the powers of Western Europe could easily afford. Today fur remains a classic look that is timeless, especially during winter. Chic and elegant, furs will always remain a popular fashion.

The softness and luxuriousness of wearing fur cannot be outdone. Mink jackets and fox fur coats have been worn for more than 200,000 years. Wearing fur is part of humanity’s history, and it is part of a past that we cannot jettison. Wearing mink jackets remains a symbol of power and wealth, and plus, it’s warm and comfortable too.

Chinchilla: The Softest Fur Around

Mink fur coats are beautiful and soft. But if you want the softest fur on the market, think again. Chinchillas have some of the softest and densest fur in the world, thanks to their native Andean habitat, ranging from Peru to Chile. Living in crevices and hiding in burrow in high, cold mountains, these small rodents can also jump up to 6 ft. in the air!

The fur industry has recognized these little critters since the 16th century and even before that when the native Andeans wore Chinchilla furs. Chinchillas have about 60 hairs per follicle. But because chinchillas are so small, the average full sized coat can require up to 150 pelts, making their cost very high. Today most chinchillas are farmed because illegal chinchilla hunting has pushed the species close to extinction.

At Madison Avenue Furs, we have chinchilla lined mink jackets, as well as chinchilla collars and capes. We also have entire chinchilla jackets. These beautiful garments are available in plus size fur coats and we even have a chinchilla fur handbag to go with your collar and coat.

These products are elegant and distinguished, and are evenly colored grey and black. They turn heads wherever or whenever they are worn.