I own a fabulous vintage fur coat embellished with Victorian crazy quilting done with an assortment of fabrics including vintage Italian silk ties, embroidered antique French ribbons, crocheted lace doilies, silk and rayon velvets, many different embroidery stitches and appliquéd birds among other wild and wondrous things. This is my Ode to Janis Joplin Vintage Fur Coat. It is truly incredible coat – original and unique like its namesake Janis herself.
I did not know what kind of fur the coat was so I took it to Swiss furrier Rene Vogel to have him identify it. The fur is very soft and fine and the leather is quite thin. It turns out that the coat is made of goat fur! The goat skin leather is soft and thin which made it possible for the seamstress who made it to hand sew the silk ties and other delicate fabrics she used directly to the leather with a hand sewing needle as she could stitch it as easily as one can stitch two pieces of cloth together such as silk or cotton.
So, my Janis Joplin Coat is actually also a Goat Coat, By the styling of the original coat we can tell it started life as a soft and supple 1940s goat fur jacket. Its transformation into a work of fur and textile art took place during the 1960s when enterprising girls with sewing skills spent considerable amounts of time reworking and embellishing their clothes into truly individual statement pieces.
I did not know what kind of fur the original coat was made of when I wrote about it previously. There is always so much information buried in the history of vintage clothes. Unearthing it is like fashion archeology……
I asked Rene Vogel if it was a good idea to do more sewing on the exterior portions of the coat where some of the fur is not sewn down – he advised me not to because the thin leather will not be able to withstand it. Why? Because it has become very delicate with age and sewing it will cause it to tear – it would be like creating a dotted line with each stitch along which that section of fur could easily be torn out. It would weaken the structure of the coat too much. He advised me to leave it as is and treat it very carefully. Here are some more photos of the amazing work that has gone into its customization.
This area is along one of the exterior sides of the coat and one sleeve. Note the natural swirls and curls I the goat’s fur – so pretty! And note that the cloth used on the sleeve is from old men’s silk ties. Also note the precise hand stitching used! I think the leather and fur in the coat may already have been deteriorating when the seamstress applied this fabric in an attempt to prolong its life with her crazy quilt patching technique which is truly clever. Many hippy girls in the 1960s and 70s were truly poor and did things like this as a way of having beautiful clothes because they could not afford to buy new ones. It was an extension of the mend and make do movement from WWII turned into an art form during the 1960s and 70s. I have a silk dress that was restyled at least 3x in which you can see all the era transitions as well. I once showed it to a vintage dealer because I felt it was truly incredible. He scoffed at me saying it was not true vintage because it had been cut into and changed. I disagreed with him – I feel it was very truly vintage because it illustrated to perfection what women did during these times to stay in fashion and extend the life of their clothes. Such clothes illustrate what life was really like during those times. I will write about that dress soon.
This is the back of the coat. In the next photo I show the front of the sleeve which Rene advised be left as is. The black fabric that you see behind the slashed goat skin is the sleeve lining which remains strong and intact. The coat can be worn and is not falling apart – one just needs to be careful not to catch the slashed section on anything that could tear it further. Cold air does not enter the inside of the coat because the lining fabric is strong and the sleeve is crazy quilted inside.
Coat can be worn as is . Here is a photo of the way I have styled it with other articles of 60s & 70s era appropriate clothing for the full out Janis Joplin Ensemble. The hat is a 1930s felt hat from New Orleans trimmed in real Persian lamb fur, real ostrich feathers and a 1940s black Japanned brooch. It is the kind of vintage hat Janis would have picked up when she was on tour performing in New Orleans. The 8 strand necklace is made of garnet, amethyst, sterling silver and Murano glass beads. I made it myself. The wine colored blouse is silk burnout velvet and the 3 tiered midi length skirt is blue rayon velvet. The length is ideal for showing off Janis Joplin’s prized old fashioned granny boots.
It is interesting to me to see all the elements that go into planning a look. When Janis got money she was determined to have the most beautiful clothes she could find. She searched for them in antique shops and flea markets and she also made dresses and bell bottom pants herself. She loved beautiful fabrics and clothes and developed her own style which became much copied by her fans.
She was ecstatic when she found a perfect pair of antique boots. //ladyviolette.com/2012/09/09/fashion-news-from-janis-joplin-september-1966-one-of-lady-violettes-favorite-quotes/ I love the level of enthusiasm she expressed as it captures how even woman feels when she finds the thing she loves and wanted. This quote is so “Right On!” to use a saying appropriate to the time period. Here is another pair she would have loved and either could be worn with this outfit.
Janis loved jewelry especially silver, beads, bracelets and rings and piled them on with abandon!
I designed this necklace myself in her honor in order to accessorize this outfit. Of course it can be worn with many other things as well. Conservative people thought Janis had outrageous fashion sense at the time but it has proved to be good taste in the long run and many people have tried to copy her style or have been inspired by it to create their own distinct looks. She would have loved this!
I’ve owned this goat coat for quite a while and only now have learned what kind of fur it is thanks to Swiss furrier Rene Vogel identifying it for me. Here is a final parting photo shawing the back of the Goat Coat. I hope I have provided enough photos and information that you will be able to spot Goat Coats if you run into them yourself! Below you will find Rene Vogels contact information if you need to identify a vintage fur or have work done on one. I highly recommend his work.
Rare and beautiful historic clothing and accessories are for sale in my online shops. If you see something on this blog that you are interested in buying, but do not find it for sale in my shops message me on Etsy or Ebay and I will get back to you about availability. I check messages daily and can always prepare a special listing for you if you do not find it already listed in the shops.
You can reach professional Swiss furrier Rene Vogel via email Rene’ Vogel <rdcvogel@msn.com> or by phone at (425)322-9638 to schedule appointments for all your fur related needs.
I want to make it clear to my readers that I chose to write about Rene Vogel to share information I have learned from him about furs and to provide them access to him as a reliable professional furrier should they wish to find one. Rene is not paying me to write about him.
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Years ago I was caught in a terrific sand and rainstorm while walking on the sand dunes in Florence, Oregon. It was in December and very cold out so I was wearing a seal fur coat to stay warm. When I set out on the walk with my friends it was sunny and clear out. The sand dunes were beautiful but while we were there, exploring, a sudden violent storm came up and we were pelted with blowing sand and drenched with penetrating rain. It was a terrific storm with waves crashing on the beach. It lasted a couple of hours. We were able to shelter on the side of a dune during the worst of it and we had a hard time making it a couple of miles back to our car. Fortunately, none of us were hurt. My seal fur coat, however, was destroyed! Much of the seal hair had been ripped from the leather and the leather was completely soaked. Sadly, I had to dispose of that beautiful soft coat. I have never forgotten the experience. Consequently, I now take precautions to protect my furs.
I asked professional furrier Rene Vogel and his wife Denise what would happen if a fur coat got really soaked – essentially drenched in a rainstorm or via some other unfortunate method and you were able to get the coat to a professional furrier right away. This is what Denise responded.
“Regarding drenched coats: The rare times we have come across a customer with a drenched coat was when they had brought it to us after the fact, when the garments were already dry. One lady had put her fur coat in a clothes dryer and it destroyed the coat, so it was not salvageable. If a customer would bring a drenched fur to us while still wet, we would have to first use a towel to remove the excess water and then hang it up on a rack with air circulation around it to allow it to dry naturally with no additional heat. Once dry, René would need to evaluate the leather to see if it would still be supple and if it retained its original shape. Depending on the age of the garment, it may become dry and brittle or lose its shape. When furriers create fur garments and when they remodel furs, they use water combined with a special leather softener to wet down the backside of the pelt which is the leather side of the fur. This process allows the pelts to be stretched and nailed to a board in the desired shape. Once it is dry, the furrier places the pattern on top of the leather-side, draws the desired outline on the leather, cuts it with a special furrier knife and then the seamstress takes over with her finishing work. The leather softener is a solution which helps to prevent the leather from drying out and becoming brittle and hard. If the water-damaged garment is too old or the leather too thin, the leather will not be salvageable. If it has become too hard and is no longer supple but deemed to be salvageable, the furrier could take it all apart and start all over again, like a remodel, wetting down the leather side of the fur with the leather softener/water solution, nailing it out to the former shape and putting it all together again. This would be an expensive job, because it would essentially be like remodeling the coat. The lining, if drenched, would most likely be damaged beyond repair, so a new lining would have to be used.”
It is best not to get your beautiful furs really wet, obviously!
The vintage fur and fur trimmed coats pictured in this post are in good condition happily safe and dry in my house! I always keep an umbrella in my car because I live in Seattle and it rains a lot here. I highly recommend carrying an umbrella & an alternative rainproof coat in your car as well just in case you are caught in a severe storm. I keep a Mycra-Pac Donatella Raincoat, pictured below, in my car in case I get caught in a severe rain – this coat is long and full and has a nice big hood so I could conceivably put it on over a fur coat or jacket to keep the fur dry. It also comes with a bag you can carry it in. It folds up into a small neat bundle which is essentially a small shoulder bag style purse – the Mycra-Pac – that you can keep it in when not in use. It is water proof and will keep you and your valuable fur dry in an emergency.
Another good coat raincoat of the same type is the UBU 39″ Reversible Parisian Style Pleated Raincoat. which comes in both knee and midi length versions. //poshmark.com/edit-listing/651f3e9104b36d97a6dbae96. This coat is also rainproof and full enough to fit over and protect a fur coat if necessary.
Of course we wear our furs in order to look beautiful and stay warm and we don’t want to cover them up unless we are caught in an emergency rainfall. I am sharing my own solutions for protecting my furs in downpours now after having lost a special seal fur coat in that dreadful Florence Sand Dunes storm. I happened to be walking recently in Discovery Park in Seattle when wearing one of my furs and it looked like it might rain, so I put on my Mycra-Pac Donatella over my fur and proceeded on my walk. I actually saw an owl in one of the tall trees and sure enough I was caught in a rain – but because I was prepared I stayed both cosy warm due to my fur and completely dry because I had put my waterproof raincoat on over it. Above is a picture of the rainbow I took at the end of my walk. Had I not had the raincoat with me to put on over my fur I might have missed seeing the both the wild owl and the rainbow!
You can reach professional Swiss furrier Rene Vogel via email Rene’ Vogel <rdcvogel@msn.com> or by phone at (425)322-9638 to schedule appointments for all your fur related needs.
I want to make it clear to my readers that I chose to write about Rene Vogel to share information I have learned from him about furs and to provide them access to him as a reliable professional furrier should they wish to find one. Rene is not paying me to write about him.
Rare and beautiful historic clothing and accessories are for sale in my online shops. If you see something on this blog that you are interested in buying, but do not find it for sale in my shops message me on Etsy or Ebay and I will get back to you about availability. I check messages daily and can always prepare a special listing for you if you do not find it already listed in the shops. Some vintage furs and fur trimmed items are currently listed for sale in my shops and others will be listed as they are ready to sell. I also list fashionable and extremely practical raincoats such as the ones shown in this post when I can find them. The Black/Teal Parisienne shown in the above link is currently available in my shop.
Items are always in process of being readied for listing so all inventory is not already listed and photographed. Feel free to message me on Ebay or Etsy if you are seeking something in particular as I may have it or be able to find it for you. There are contact seller buttons on all listings in the stores which allow you to write me messages.
This coat was made in the early 1960s and the design has to have been inspired by historical garments such as royal robes made for kings, queens and high ranking clergymen in olden times that were made of purple cloth trimmed in white winter ermine fur with black tips on the tails.
In a future post I will explain the origin and complex ancient process of making purple dye and dying.
This coat is a textured purple wool and it is lined in cranberry colored satin acetate. The fur trim of creamy white accented with black fur is cross mink. My experienced professional furrier Rene Vogel explained that cross mink is achieved by breeding two colors of mink together – in this case a natural white mink and a natural black mink which yields a creamy white mink with black mottled sections such as you see here. This coloration of mink is not dyed. It occurs naturally when the two colors of mink animals are crossbred. There are many different colors of cross mink: black on white, brown on white, gray on white, black on grey, delicate cream with the lightest brown called pearl cross mink, etc. I’ve seen women wearing some elegant full coats made of various colors of cross mink but I did not really know how the colors were achieved until I asked Rene to explain it to me.
I think the designer of this coat was inspired by a Medieval queens elegant long purple robes trimmed in ermine fur and fastened with real jeweled amethyst buttons. The coat has eight domed purple buttons set with four purple Swarovski crystals each positioned two by two on either side of the cross mink fur band extending down the front. These fasten with loop buttonholes made of the purple wool fabric. I include a closeup picture below to help you see these buttoning loops around the buttons. They are a bit hard to see because the coat is a dark color and they are partially covered by the fur – so they are subtle but a very nice detail to the styling of the coat and easy to button. The crystal stones in the buttons are also subtle but they catch the light and sparkle brightly when you see the coat in person.
The coat was made by Joymoor Fashions styled by Molle and sports a lovely heavy vintage satin designer label. When I acquired this coat it was in excellent condition except that the original thread used to sew it together and apply the covered snaps, anchor the buttons and stitch the fur trim to the wool coat had begun to deteriorate. This is a common issue with vintage clothing because it was assembled with either silk or cotton thread which decomposes over time. The coat was also in need of professional cleaning as it had gotten dusty hanging in a closet for many years without being used. In order to clean these antique fur trimmed coats the fur portions have to be removed so the wool cloth coat can be dry cleaned and the fur trim can be cleaned separately by the furrier method in a special fur cleaning machine. Vintage coats with fur trim cannot be cleaned without removing the fur trim and cleaning it separately. After cleaning the cloth and the fur portions separately, using the proper different processes for each one, the fur trim and the fur collar have to be sewed back onto the coat. This is harder to do than it sounds.
About 20 years ago, before I found Rene Vogel, I had a fur collar removed and had the vintage yellow wool coat it was on dry cleaned. The dry cleaner I went to had an excellent reputation and had two alteration ladies on staff. They sent the fur collar out to a fur cleaning service. It came back clean and the alterations ladies tried to re-attach the collar to the coat. They tried and tried but could not get it right. It was a frustrating situation so I had to give up on re-attaching the collar to that coat. Two years later I was discussing this problem with someone who told me about Rene Vogel. She had met him years before when he worked for I. Magnin and successfully shortened a fur coat for her. She told me he did an excellent job, but I. Magnin had closed many years ago and she had no idea where to find him now! Armed with his name and this recommendation I began searching for Rene. I was teaching ballet classes in the Highlands in Seattle and it turned out that a grandmother of one of my students sent her furs to fur storage at Leather Care in Seattle every summer. She suggested I call Leather Care and ask if they knew how to locate Rene Vogel. I did this and, luckily, they had his phone number and gave it to me. He was located in Bothell, Washington, and agreed to meet me to look at my collarless coat project. He affixed the fur collar on that vintage yellow wool coat right away and I then took him a big pile of furs that needed identifying, cleaning and various repairs. Voila! I had found the man I needed! I had begun selling vintage clothing online and I also had some unusual antique fur pieces I was not able to identify.
It is actually quite difficult to reposition the fur trim and the fur collar exactly correctly and sew them on securely in the original position at the correct angles so that the coat looks the way it was originally made. The dual process of cleaning the cloth coat and the fur portions, then reattaching the fur collar and trim and resewing the buttons onto the coat with shanks so they do not pull incorrectly on the cloth when the coat is buttoned is best done by a professional furrier. It is a time consuming process that must be done completely by hand. It takes an experienced craftsman or woman several hours to do properly. Rene Vogel and his wife Denise work as a team in his business Furs by Rene. Denise has over 45 years experience re-assembling and sewing fur and fur trimmed coats similar to this one back together. I am a good seamstress myself and I have tried to sew the fur collars back on other coats after cleaning them but it was challenging and I could not get it right! The coats are heavy wool and it is awkward and challenging to get the fur collars positioned just right – especially when trying it on yourself!
It is far easier to have a professional furrier position the collar on you while you try it on! Sewing fur onto heavy wool is also challenging and has to be done with a special new synthetic thread they did not have back in the days when these coats were originally created. The new threads will not deteriorate in the future as the original ones did. If your vintage fur coat, jacket or stole needs fur hooks and eyes replaced or added they can do a professional job hiding the mechanism in the fur hairs so it is invisible but holds the coat closed. They will use the right types of vintage sewing notions as well. I have recently tried to buy fur hooks and silk covered snaps myself at local sewing supply shops and could not locate them. I was told they are no longer available! They were also not available online. My personal standards are very high and I will not put anything in my shop unless it is clean, restored and ready to wear.
When I acquire new to me vintage furs that need work such as this one I take them to my personal professional furrier Rene Vogel to have types of fur accurately identified and get cleaning and repair projects like this one done properly. I have been using him now for over 15 years and highly recommend him for all fur services.
You can reach Swiss furrier Rene Vogel via email Rene’ Vogel <rdcvogel@msn.com> or by phone at (425)322-9638 to schedule appointments for all your fur related needs. Rene founded his business, Furs by René in 1982. He is a second-generation furrier from Switzerland who was trained in Europe and formerly ran the Fur Salons in Nordstrom and Frederick & Nelson in Seattle, Washington. He also did custom fur work for I Magnin & Co. in Seattle when real furs were in their fashion heyday. He and his wife, Denise, are experts in bringing pre-owned vintage furs back to life. They specialize in reusing and repurposing of old furs by cleaning and repairing them and, if necessary, altering, sewing, refinishing, and remodeling them. They can, of course, also work with new furs and even make a new coat or fur accessory from scratch. The Vogels now live and work in Snohomish, Washington 10 months of the year. The other 2 months of each year they spend at their family home in Switzerland.
I want to make it clear to my readers that I chose to write about Rene Vogel to share information I have learned from him about furs and to provide them access to him as a reliable professional furrier should they wish to find one. Rene is not paying me to write about him.
Rare and beautiful historic clothing and accessories are for sale in my online shops. If you see something on this blog that you are interested in buying, but do not find it for sale in my shops message me on Etsy or Ebay and I will get back to you about availability. I check messages daily and can always prepare a special listing for you if you do not find it already listed in the shops. Some vintage furs and fur trimmed items are currently listed for sale in my shops and others will be listed as they are ready to sell. Items are always in process of being readied for listing so all inventory is not already listed and photographed. Feel free to message me on Ebay or Etsy if you are seeking something in particular as I may have it or be able to find it for you. There are contact seller buttons on all listings in the stores which allow you to write me messages.
The quality of a fur is determined by the quality of the design, the pelts and the workmanship. The pelts must be well matched, light weight, supple and even in sheen. The workmanship must create evenly stitched seams and good matching of pelts.
This lovely long dark brown mink coat is made of female mink pelts and has a Russian sable collar. Sable is considered the most luxurious fur in the world. It is exceptionally dense and soft and has no nap so can be stroked in any direction. When I found this beautiful vintage coat I took it to furrier Rene Vogel to have the inside belt loops repaired and to have the fur hooks inside replaced as some of them had fallen off over the years. I also asked Rene to explain the difference in male and female mink coats. This is what I learned.
Female mink pelts are generally smaller than male mink pelts and are celebrated for their remarkable delicacy and featherweight quality. They have a higher luster and are softer and silkier than male pelts. Female pelts are perfect for elegant refined garments. Due to the smaller size of the animal it takes more female pelts to make a garment than male pelts therefor the costs of female mink coats are higher due to the higher number of more expensive pelts required.
I love furs. I also love animals. And I also love vintage furs. Most of the furs I come in contact with were created a long time before I was even born. I feel that wearing them and taking good care of them honors the animals they were made from. I do not buy or wear new furs.
Vintage Furs are Real Furs ….. completely natural and 100% reused. They are both affordable and high quality. For example you often can get a previously owned fur coat in excellent condition that would retail for $8,000 to $10,000 for $500 to $1,000. You can often find a perfectly lovely vintage fur stole for between $150 and $500 that would be perfect for a formal event.
These furs are incredibly soft and beautiful and a natural resource that shouldn’t be wasted. I believe in rescuing and reusing previously cherished vintage furs and by doing so respecting the animals from which they came.
When you acquire a vintage fur it needs to be carefully inspected and may need cleaning and minor repairs that have been made necessary by the passage of time. There may be tears in the lining, hooks and buttons may have come off, or a fur coat may need some alterations to make it fit you or give it a more modern look.
This beautiful coat from the 1940s is called China Mink or Summer Mink. When I acquired it is was dirty and neglected but Rene cleaned and glazed it and brought it back to life. I especially like it because the color matches my natural hair color! This color and style of mink coat was particularly popular in the 1930s and 40s. It is called Summer Mink because it is naturally the lighter color of the mink’s summer pelt.
I collect vintage furs for my own use and to sell in my online vintage clothing shops.
When I acquire new to me vintage furs I take them to my personal professional furrier, Rene Vogel who founded his business, Furs by René in 1982. Rene is a second-generation furrier from Switzerland who was trained in Europe and formerly ran the Fur Salons in Nordstrom and Frederick & Nelson in Seattle, Washington. He also did custom fur work for I Magnin & Co. in Seattle when real furs were in their fashion heyday. He and his wife, Denise, are experts in bringing pre-owned vintage furs back to life. They specialize in reuse and repurposing of old furs by cleaning and repairing them and, if necessary, altering, sewing, refinishing, and remodeling them. They can, of course, also work with new furs and even make a new coat or fur accessory from scratch.
Most professional furriers have closed their businesses and the furriers have retired out of necessity because fur has become unpopular and there is no longer enough business to support a full time shop with all the expenses of running a business. As a result it has become very difficult to find someone qualified to work with valuable fine furs in the old way. Rene is an old school craftsman and an absolute perfectionist. In this world of throw away fashion he is one of the few remaining fur experts of the past and an absolute treasure.
He currently lives and works out of his charming home studio in Snohomish, Washington, where he also owns a small sheep farm. Ten months out of the year he takes fur clients by private appointment in his home studio. Two months out of each year he spends in his family home in Switzerland – more about that later.
This fur boa is made of several Stone Marten pelts that are fastened together with clips. They can be configured in several different ways to wear over a coat or suit. They were popular from the 1930s – 1950s and are fun to wear now as authentic accessories for tailored vintage garments. Rene replaced the missing clips on this set and explained that the eyes are glass beads – not real animal eyes!
I visited the Vogels in their newly remodeled Snohomish Studio last weekend – taking them several of my vintage coats – to identify the types of fur – and to do some repairs. I like to get Rene’s expert take on what kinds of fur are used in an item and have him look over the fit and style to give me a professional opinion on the fit and styling. Over the years I have had some very unusual older coats and stoles made out of furs that I could not recognize and he has been able to identify what kinds of furs were used. Whenever I don’t know or question what kind a fur it is I ask him because I like to know what kind of fur I am dealing with. I have learned a great deal about furs as a result.
This jacket is an Ermine. Rene showed me that the sleeves could be worn two ways rolled up with a cuff or straight and the jacket could be worn open or fastened with one fur hook. He explained that most people think of ermine as white fur with black tips on the end of its tail, but that is the color of the ermine in winter to use as camouflage in snow. The rest of the year the ermine is this rich reddish brown color. The fur is absolutely beautiful. Ermine used to be the fur of royalty and only kings and queens and certain high ranking clergymen were allowed to wear it. This jacket was made in the 1940s and it looks as if it was never worn. It is in perfect condition. It was probably kept in cold storage most of the time since it has survived so well. The lining is absolutely beautiful – a rich brocade with little flower carts decorating it.
And there is a beautiful label from the original furrier. Most of these old coats have elegant vintage labels which add to their history and charm.
Rene has told me the stories of his early life in Europe, about helping his father in his fur business as a boy, attending trade school for professional furriers as a teenager in Switzerland and visiting traditional tanneries that had been processing pelts in Germany for centuries. I plan to share some of these informative and interesting tales with you in upcoming posts.
It is always good to hear his stories and experiences about his life in the fur business as well. He has a good sense of humor and is very entertaining.
Here are some fur muffs. The dark brown one is Seal Fur from Alaska and has a picture of a baby seal carved out in the fur. I have never seen another one like it! Seal Fur is on the endangered list now and cannot be sold. The very dark brown one on the left is mink and the cream colored one is fox. Below is the baby seal skin muff again, and a sheared muskrat muff on the upper right which is very soft. Below, lying flat, is a fisher muff with the fur cut into a chevron design. Fishers are members of the marten family native to heavily forested areas of North America and Canada. These muffs have zippered compartments inside and function as purses as well as hand warmers. They were popular through the 1960s. I enjoy using them nowadays as well and always try to stock a few of them in my shop. Marilyn Monroe prominently carried a fur muff purse in the movie Some Like it Hot made in 1959.
During Covid the fur business on the West Coast died down because people were not going out at all, but it picked up a lot when people started to go out to dine in outdoor restaurants! Furriers I know in Chicago and New York City told me there was sudden demand for used full length fur coats and they would see women dining outside at restaurants in winter wearing long furs. It had suddenly become necessary again to have a fur coat in order to stay warm. A long dark colored mink became a staple of a woman’s wardrobe once again! It was far too cold to dine outside in below freezing weather unless you were wearing a fur. Here is an Astrakan black Persian lamb coat with a brown mink collar. This gorgeous coat was made in France and was the height of fashion in Europe in the 1950s. Rene told us about learning to match the Astrakan pelts when he was in school so that several matched ones could be used to produce one coat. And he told us about working in the professional tanneries in Germany.
In Chicago and New York City women are wearing their furs again and sales for vintage furs have picked way up. It is very cold there in winter and nothing else keeps you as warm while making you feel elegant and luxurious at the same time. The West Coast is still very casual, but the East Coast is more elegant and women are dressing up and going out to see and be seen in furs again. It is currently socially responsible and very fashionable to reuse beautiful vintage clothes of the past and there is no stigma attached to wearing a pre-owned fur coat or stole. In fact, if you can find a vintage one that suits you it is the height of responsibility and prestige to wear a vintage fur. Celebrities are even wearing them on the red carpet and to award ceremonies.
Pictured above is a Kolinsky fur stole. It features fronts that can be worn down or folded upward and converted into a shorter style that also functions as a muff to keep your hands warm if desired!
Soft and luxurious fur stoles from the 1950s and 60s have become popular for weddings again. And they can be worn with a pair of designer jeans and high heeled boots any other time. Below a couple of models are shown wearing vintage furs.
They are both soft and warm. The most popular ones are mink, Kolinsky or Russian squirrel, and fox. They are very easy to find online and in thrift stores and are reasonably priced. This black and white one shown below is skunk and came with a matching muff! It is fabulous! I found it at the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital Thrift Shop. You can also support worthy causes such as this hospital by buying and wearing vintage furs! Rene cleaned and mended this set for me and really improved the look.
Above is a bleached Raccoon fur stole that was made for I. Magnin in the 1950s. It belonged to my aunt.
Above: This beautiful Edwardian Style Harris Tweed Coat was made by designer Daniel Hector in Paris in the 1970s. It is wool and features a real Mouton Fur Collar. Below: This long Harris Tweed Coat designed in New York City by Sabrina is also from the 1970s and features a fluffy real Coyote Fur Collar.
Both of these vintage 1970s tweed coats are made warmer and more elegant by their fur collars.
Next in popularity are mink coats and jackets, and wool coats trimmed in mink or fox collars. A fur collar adds a touch of luxury and real warmth around the neck.
I’m going to share pictures of my own collection of vintage coats with you here and explain what type of fur each one is and what Rene Vogel has done with it to make it look its best. Hopefully this will inspire you to get out an old coat you already have and wear it again, or acquire a vintage one and start wearing it.
The following coats with fur collars were all cleaned and mended by Rene Vogel. `
The purple wool coat below is from the 1940s and has wide black fox fur cuffs. The mauve boucle wool coat from the 1940s features a removable Kolinsky fur scarf collar and wide cuffs that were dyed to look like mink. This coat was made in England. The grey leather coat has a grey fox collar and was made in the 1970s. The suede coat from the 1960s features an Autumn Haze colored mink collar. Audrey Hepburn wore one like it in one of her films so it was a very popular style.
I asked Rene to give us for some tips on caring for vintage furs.
Fur garments should have enough space to hang freely with air space around them to prevent them from being smashed up against other garments. Cedar closets are ideal when storing furs at home, especially because they will help prevent moth damage. Some hardware stores sell small cedar planks with a hook at one end to hang in a closet to help discourage moths. Free-standing garment racks are also good because of the air circulation they promote. Heat, humidity, and temperature fluctuations can damage the leather of the fur by causing it to become dry and brittle. Ideally it is best to store furs in temperature and humidity-controlled fur storage facilities which are becoming very difficult or impossible to find in many areas. We had one in Seattle at a business called Leather Care – but this closed down a couple of years ago so there is nothing available in the Seattle area anymore. (All the professional furriers in the area used to store their clients’ coats and their own fur inventory at this facility.) Unfortunately, it is no longer available.
This beautiful soft Stone Marten Cape from the 1940s was cleaned and glazed by Rene and looks brand new. It is one of my favorite pieces.
Lavender has been used traditionally for centuries to prevent moth damage. William Shakespeare even wrote about using it to ward off moths in one of his plays! I fill small silk bags with dried lavender and place them over the hangers of my coats. Lavender discourages moths and has a pleasing smell to humans so having some of it around is positive in many respects. Read about ways to protect against moth infestation in this post. //ladyviolette.com/2011/03/19/important-anti-moth-information-for-knitters-and-vintage-clothing-collectors-as-well-as-all-other-people/ Never ever bring a moth infested item such as a rug or pillow or garment into your home. If you should find one enclose it in a sealed plastic bag and dispose of it. If you bring it into your home you will very quickly expose your other valuable belongings to moths.
As for hangers, you should search for deep-shouldered coat hangers. You can find plastic and wooden hangers that would also be suitable for fur garments on Amazon. The deep-shouldered hangers distribute the weight of heavier garments so they not only retain their shape better, but also help prevent the leather of the fur garments from weakening at the shoulder seams. It is also a good idea to use this type of hanger for expensive cloth coats as the wrong types of hangers can cause jackets and coats to become stretched and misshapen. I will take pictures of the correct type of hangers to use and post them soon.
Sometimes you find a vintage fur with the fur dented and smashed from improper storage. The fur in these garments needs to be brushed.
I live in Seattle where it rains a lot so I am often asked if one can wear fur in the rain and if it gets rained on what to do. Animals in nature do get wet when it rains. Rene said it is OK if it gets damp from rain but you need to hang it up as soon as you take it off in an area with good air circulation so it can dry thoroughly. Should you get caught in a terrific rain storm and get your fur coat terribly wet you will need to get it to a professional furrier immediately. It is best to carry an umbrella in cities like Seattle and London during the rainy season!
The calfskin jacket above from the 1950s was identified and cleaned by Rene. Now it looks brand new.
Below a natural grey fox fur stole and matching muff also from the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital Thrift Shop was cleaned and mended by Rene. It is now glamorous again and ready to go out on the town.
You can reach professional Swiss furrier Rene Vogel via email Rene’ Vogel <rdcvogel@msn.com> or by phone at (425)322-9638 to schedule appointments for all your fur related needs.
I want to make it clear to my readers that I chose to write about Rene Vogel to share information I have learned from him about furs and to provide them access to him as a reliable professional furrier should they wish to find one. Rene is not paying me to write about him.
Rare and beautiful historic clothing and accessories are for sale in my online shops. I do have some fur pieces available now and will be adding more soon. If you see something on this blog that you are interested in buying, but do not find it for sale in my shops message me on Etsy or Ebay and I will get back to you about availability. I check messages daily and can always prepare a special listing for you if you do not find it already listed in the shops. I do have inventory that is not yet listed so, if you want something you do not find already listed, let me know – I may very well have it or be able to find it for you.
Beautiful 1950’s cloche hat – a Dachette by Lilly Dache in an emerald green Italian felt trimmed with a black ribbon. Hat is hand stitched and hand sculpted. Really beautiful! and perfect for Saint Patrick’s Day!
Lilly Dache was a French born American hat designer who said “A woman’s hat tells you who she is or who she wants to be…” she was tremendously successful designing hats for socialites, actresses and “stenographers who had to go without lunch for a month to afford one of her creations” – in her own words. Her hats cost 10x what other hats did. She had a 9 story building on 56th st. in NYC where she designed and manufactured on the 7 lower floors and lived in the 2 story penthouse on the very top! She employed hundreds of people and became very wealthy! All from the popularity of her hats which were sold all over the world. At the height of her success she was producing 30,000 hats per year!
Using her French connections she also opened a shop in Paris.
She counted Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard and Garbo as her clients. Their hats were a great deal of what made them mysterious and alluring. Lilly Dache was a great designer. And she said. “I made everything with love, affection and excitement.” Personally I think this shows in every one of her spectacular designs.
This green beauty is not only a fabulous hat, it is also a piece of important millinery history and a piece of art – a lovely hat to wear, display or collect – and a great study piece.
It reminds me of a hat in an Edward Hopper painting. It is gorgeous! I think it was worn only once long ago when it was purchased as it is in such great condition. I like it worn with black so the hat is the main focus of the ensemble.
Lilly Dache apprenticed with hat designer Caroline Redoux who is credited with inventing the cloche hat in the 1920’s Paris – however Lilly created her Dachettes line in the 1950s so this hat must have been made in the 50s in New York City in Lilly’s famous workshop. The cloche is generally thought of as a 1920’s style but it was popular among hat lovers from the 1920s onward.
This beauty has been carefully stored in a box for decades. It is in excellent condition. Felt has a nap so you can smooth is out carefully so it all lies in the same direction.
Rare and beautiful historic clothing and accessories are for sale in my online shops. If you see something on this blog that you are interested in buying, but do not find it for sale in my shops message me on Etsy or Ebay and I will get back to you about availability. I check messages daily and can always prepare a special listing for you if you do not find it already listed in the shops.
