I came across this interesting press release about a sable cape worn by Queen Elizabeth on her visit to the US and Canada in 1939. It was valued at $15,000 in 1939. That would be $339,431.65 today!
I also find it interesting that fashion designer Norman Hartnell went along on this tour to take care of the queen’s dresses!
Royalty travel with an entire entourage of fashion designers, stylists, hair dressers, makeup artists, dressers and personal maids as well as professionals who care for their wardrobes.
Norman Hartnell became Queen Elizabeths personal designer and she eventually knighted him for his services – he called this event The Norman Conquest!
This article is long and comprehensive, thus I have divided it into 3 sections , one on each Fur/ Perfume Type. There is Ermine/ Hermine, Sable/ Zibeline and Chinchilla/ Chinchilla Royale.
Sequel #1: Ermine / Hermine
With the help of his daughter perfumer Jacqueline Fraysse, furrier Claude Weil created the first trio of perfumes offered by Weil in 1927/1928, the so-called fur perfumes: Hermine – a sweet tropical floral scent, Chinchilla Royal- a jasmine/rose blend and Zebeline- a grand floral chypre with deep vetiver/oak notes were named after the furs themselves. The fragrances were named Hermine, Zibeline, and Chinchilla Royal, and were supposed to be used on the equivalent fur.
I have not yet been able to locate a vintage sample or a vintage bottle of Hermine de Weil Perfume, but I am looking for one!
In French Hermine means Ermin, Zibeline means Sable and Chinchilla means, obviously, Chinchilla. These are were three of the most luxurious furs in the world at that time and remain so today so I thought it would be interesting to take a close look at each of them in order to recognize them when when we see them.
Ermine, minks and sables are all very similar as animals and have similar characteristics and behavior. Minks and sables, in the wild, live primarily in Northern regions of North America, Asia and Europe and produce highly prized fur used in coats, stoles, fur accessories and fur trims on luxury cloth garments. In recent years furs have been unpopular in North America and Europe but have remained popular in Russia and become popular in China. However, as always, fashions – like history – repeat themselves and furs are now cycling back into fashion in North America and Europe.
Vintage and pre-owned garments are currently becoming sought after again because people realize how truly beautiful they are. New furs are still being produced, but animal rights activists have succeeded in raising awareness of the necessity of conserving endangered species and habitats so in most cases this is now being done responsibly.
Ermines and sables are still caught by hunters or trappers in the wild because they do not breed well in captivity. These days mink and chinchilla used for making garments are raised on farms with careful breeding practices.
I will start with Ermine or Hermine in French
Here you can see the ermine’s white winter coat on the left and Brown summer coat on the right
The ermine is a small mammal that comes from the weasel family. It is famous for its snow white winter coat which turns brown in the summer. These color adaptations help it blend into its environment and provide camouflage from predators. Along its back the ermine has a distinctive black tip on its tail which is used as a visual signal during courtship. As well as its striking appearance, the ermine possesses exceptional speed and is very agile. It can reach speeds up to 20 mph making it a formidable hunter in its habitat.
Size: ermines are small slender mammals measuring from 13 to 29 cm (5-12 inches) in head and body length and have an additional tail length of 5 to 12 cm (2 – 4.7 inches) long. They weigh less than 0.3 kg (0.7 pounds) each. Females are smaller than males and members of northern populations are smaller than their southern counterparts.
A snow white winter ermine blending in in its natural forested snow covered environment.
Ermines can be found in various regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe and Asia. They inhabit forests, grasslands and tundra adapting and thriving in different climates both cold and temperate. Within their habitats, ermines establish territories which they defend against other members of their species. These territories provide them with access to food, water and shelter. Their home ranges vary in size depending on the availability of these resources and their population density.
The ermines life cycle begins with birth in late spring. Females usually give birth to between 5 and 13 kits who are blind and helpless at birth, relying entirely on their mother for nourishment and protection. The kits grow quickly developing their senses and motor skills. The mother teaches them to hunt and fend for themselves in the wild. At 12 weeks of age they are ready to venture out on their own.
Ermines reach sexual maturity between their first and second years of life. Their mating season occurs during the summer and the males engage in vigorous displays of courtship to attract females. They emit a powerful musky scent to announce their availability and establish dominance. After mating, the females undergo a gestation period of 30 – 42 days before giving birth to a new litter of kits. This reproductive cycle ensures the continuation of the ermine population and allows them to adapt to their constantly changing environment. Interestingly, gestation is sometimes delayed. In spite of being such a small animal, the ermine’s gestation is among the longest reported for mammals because of the adaptation of delayed implantation, or embryonic diapause, in which a fertilized egg is not implanted in the uterus until months later. This implantation may be delayed nine to ten months, with the total gestation about 280 days. Thus, the animal’s “real” gestation is much shorter. This is presumably an adaptation to the highly seasonal environment in which the ermine lives. The ermine breeds once a year, producing several young kits (or kittens) per litter, and its mating system is promiscuous. Copulation occurs during the mating season with multiple partners and is often forced by the male, who does not help raise the offspring. Sometimes mating occurs when the female is so young she has not even left the den and is still nursing herself. Multiple cases have been observed by scientists when the female, herself is only 8 weeks old.
Ermines are carnivores and play a crucial role in the food chain of their ecosystem. They primarily feed on fish, birds, stolen eggs, frogs, insects, rats, mice, voles, moles and rabbits. They routinely hunt down animals up to three times their own size. By controlling the population of these herbivorous animals the ermines help maintain the balance in their habitats. Ermines themselves become, in turn, prey for larger predators – birds of prey, foxes and other carnivores. This intricate web of predator-prey relationships illustrates the interdependence of species within a given ecosystem.
Ermines also contribute to the the environment in other ways – their burrowing activities have a positive impact on soil structure and nutrient cycling. They are known to created burrows that are often reused by other animals for shelter and protection. They also aid in seed dispersal as they also consume fruits and seeds. This helps to distribute plant species across their habitat, contributing to the overall biodiversity and richness of the ecosystem.
Socially ermines are usually solitary individuals, but during the mating season they engage in social interactions. Males compete for dominance engaging in wrestling matches and musk-scent marking to establish territories and attract mates. Although they are typically solitary they are known to occasionally share dens with other ermines during colder months for warmth. However, being highly territorial, they will vigorously defend their territories against intruders.
Ermines are skilled hunters and employ several strategies to catch their prey. They have a keen sense of hearing and smell which allows them to locate potential food sources. Once an ermine detects its prey it will patiently stalk it before launching into a full out high-speed chase, relying on its agility and sharp teeth to capture its victim. Ermines feed on small mammals as explained above. Small prey is seized at the base of the skull, larger prey by the throat.
In addition to their hunting skills ermines possess remarkable survival adaptations. One of these is the color change from their brown summer coats to their white winter coats which allows them to blend seamlessly into their snowy surroundings and evade detection by their predators.
Ermines are skilled swimmers. They have been introduced to Australia and New Zealand in an attempt to control the rabbit population. They can swim up to 1.5 kilometers across seawater and have successfully reached several offshore islands unaided. Maud Island is 900 meters off the northern tip of the South Island of New Zealand and has been colonized multiple times by ermines who have swum over on their own over the past 20 years. Incidentally ermines have adapted so well to Australia and New Zealand that they have now become a problem there as well as the rabbits.
Currently ermine are not endangered anywhere in the world, but it is important to protect them to and their environment in order to maintain their existence.
Climate change poses a significant threat to the ermine population. As temperatures rise the duration of snowy winters decreases affecting the ermine’s ability to camouflage and hunt effectively. The loss of their showy environment also disrupts their breeding patterns and alters their habitat. Human activities -deforestation, urbanization and agricultural expansion also restrict their natural ranges and reduce their access to suitable resources and territories.
Of course human interference through hunting and trapping have also impacted the ermine population. Ermine fur has historically been valued for its luxurious appearance leading to excessive trapping for the fur trade. While regulations and conservation efforts have been implemented to protect ermines, illegal hunting remains a concern. Conservationists and organizations are working to raise awareness about the ermines habitat and promote sustainable practices to ensure the longterm survival or this fascinating little creature. Through understanding and appreciating them we can hopefully preserve their natural habitats and ensure their survival as a species.
Historically the ermines winter white coat was used for royal robes and crowns in Europe. In summer the ermine is brown with a white throat, chest and belly. In colder climates the winter coat is white except for the black tail tip. The winter-taken pelts are prized for their fineness and purity of color, and are among the most valuable of commercial furs. They are obtained mainly in northern Eurasia. During the reign of Edward III (1327-77) of England, the wearing of ermine was restricted to members of the royal family. Thereafter, state robes were constructed in such a way that the rank and position of the wearer could be determined by the presence or absence or positioning of black spots – the ermines tail tips.
It has always taken a large number of ermines to get enough fur to make a garment because they are such a small animal. Additionally the black spots that are so identifiable against the white fur come only from the tail tip and each ermine has only one tail. Thus a tremendous number of these tiny animals were needed in order to make a large item of ermine clothing making it incredibly labor intensive and costly to produce a garment – thus very rare, prestigious and expensive.
Each line on the white body of this gorgeous ermine coat represents one ermine pelt. The lines indicate where each of the small pelts are seamed together. The fringe of black tips on the sleeves and cuffs of this luxurious coat are each made of one ermine tail. A very large number or ermines were used in the construction of the coat. Please note sewing of fur in such a way takes incredible skill. In my opinion this is one of the most gorgeous coats I have ever seen. It was made by Revillon et Cie in Paris in the 1920s.
A charming lady showing off her Ermine accessories consisting of a muff, hat and stole in 1910 Actress Marion Davies in an Ermine Coat Trimmed with Black Fox Collar, Cuffs and Hem
Ermine was popular during the 1920s and 30s for elegant evening coats worn by prominent wealthy socialites and stage and film stars. It was often paired with a darker colored fur to create striking contrasts as seen on the coat above. It was also used to great effect as contrast trim on black velvet opera coats and gowns such as the elegant design by Adrian worn by Jean Harlow in the movie Dinner at Eight which was made in 1933 shown below
Jean Harlow in a Black Velvet Gown Trimmed in Ermine by Adrian 1933Ermine Evening Coat by Madeline Vionnet 1930
Here is a full length White Winter Ermine Evening Coat designed by Madeline Vionnet in Paris in 1930 from the Victoria & Albert Museum Clothing Collection. It is easy to see how women wearing these creations would have wanted a special perfume they could wear with their ermine furs during this period of elegant self-presentation. Below is an evening cape with a lot of personality that includes the ermin tails and six ermine heads surrounded by silk tassels in an amazing design.
An Evening Cape in Ermine from London Furrier Rich D Jeffs
Amazing short winter ermine evening cape above is trimmed with ermine tails and closes down the front with toggles and silk tassels surrounding ermine heads on both sides – by London Furrier Rich D Jeffs.
Brown Summer Ermine Jacket 1940s
The brown summer ermine pelts were also used for garments. Here is a brown summer ermine jacket from Herman Stegman furs in Seattle, WA which was made in the 1940s. I is from my own collection and is just as beautiful as the white in its own way. The fur is dense, thick, shiny and warm, It feels rich and high quality and I happen to love the chestnut or mahogany brown color. Just like the white winter ermine coats the summer ermine coats require many small ermine pelts to be skillfully sewn together to create large enough pieces of fur fabric to create a garment. I will include a close up photo of the fur in the above brown summer ermine coat to try to demonstrate how rich it looks in person.
Actress Irene Dunn wearing a summer ermine coat above that was made in the 1930s. This coat uses the summer brown pelt with its white underbelly to create a naturally two-tone design to great effect.
In general the white winter ermine is the favored fur, not its summer chestnut colored coat. White ermine with its trademark black tail-tip became so entrenched with aristocratic fashion from the medieval period onwards that it even found a place in heraldry. For example, the coat of arms of Bretagne (Brittany), in France, references ermine markings in its design.
Variations on the heraldic Ermine design. The coat of arms of Bretagne (Brittany), France.
Examples of royal robes using ermine follow: The picture below shows King George V of England and his wife Queen Mary after their coronation in their coronation robes. While the photo directly beneath is shows furriers and tailors working on making the robes. Incidentally, the long cloaks are solid ermine on the undersides that we do not see in the portrait. The top of the cloaks we see spread out on the floor before the monarchs are velvet embroidered with gold thread.
I find it interesting to see how many expert furriers and tailors were required to make these robes! King George V was crowned on June 22, 1911.
Coronation Portrait of Catherine the Great of Russia wearing ermine and diamonds. by Vigilius Erkisen. Her taste for grandeur and excess brought her to devise one of the most extravagant coronations in history. Her 1762 coronation train was a whopping extravaganza of ermine trimmed and gold embroidered velvet that required 6 chambermaids to help navigate throughout the ceremony.
One of the Romanoff imperial coronation robes above on display at Kremlin Museum, Moscow, Russia.
Spectacular coronation portraits displayed in museums today show how effectively European monarchs used ermine and art as a projection of power and wealth from the onset of their reign. If a picture is worth a thousand words, coronation portraits bellowed clearly and loudly who was in charge symbolically and physically from that moment on.
Even King Louis XIV was dressed in Ermine as a young child, by an unknown painter
Historically, ermine was the status quo fur for royalty, and the most sought-after fur for court presentations and official portraiture. Ermine became linked with Western European courts due to a symbolic legend stating that an ermine would “rather die than be defiled/soiled”, as translated from the Latin, “potius mori quam foedari”. Hence its representation of royal “moral purity.”
Back to modern times: ermine has, throughout its history, inspired great creativity in fur design.
A touch of ermine in mink with Valentino – Fall 2013-Winter 20
J Mendel Beautiful White Ermine And Russian Lynx Bellies Fur Coat
A Company in Brittany has recently chosen the ermine as its mascot and made a modern fragrance available that is inspired by Weil’s original Hermine perfume. It is called L’eau de l’Hermine by Lostmarch and is described as a Floral Green fragrance for women and men. L’eau de l’Hermine was launched during the 2000’s. They state: This fragrance is named after the hermine, which is considered the symbol of purity and nobility in Brittany although it is still a wild animal. The fragrant composition includes notes of lavender, grapefruit, bergamot, neroli, peony, heliotrope and white musk.
I have not had a chance to try this out but I want to and will soon. I like the sound of lavender, grapefruit and neroli . It sounds fresh and modern. I have just ordered a sample. Of course I will review it after it arrives. Here is their logo.
This just goes to show that what goes around comes around again!
To locate a garment made of ermine fur today:
You can look for a new ermine garment in stores that continue to selling new furs or from a current fur designer working with ermine. If you go this route you should expect to pay a premium.
Alternately you can look for a pre-owned ermine garment or an ermine trimmed one. If you purchase a pre-owned or vintage ermine creation it is a good idea to buy from an experienced dealer who knows furs so you know the pelts are in good condition. If buying from a private party It is a good idea to have it looked over by a professional furrier if possible. Ermine is, after all, a refined fur in that it is delicate and has thinner leather than most other pelts. For this reason it should not be cleaned in a fur drum like most other fur pelts. It can be cleaned by hand by an experienced professional furrier. It is the delicate royal princess of furs and needs to be handled accordingly
Find out, if possible, if a pre-owned or vintage fur has been kept in furriers cold storage when not in use as storing this way prolongs the life of any fur. Some excellent dealers have their resale furs appraised and they come with professional appraisals that describe their condition and provide the buyer with an appraisal that can be used for insurance purposes. The price of such a fur is usually considerably less than the appraisal which will state the retail replacement price for a similar new fur.
If you purchase from an online website or private dealer inspect the piece very carefully. Look for splits in the leather and any balding spots – these indicate that the hide is dried out and is usually a bad sign. Mending a split is not a solution because more splits will likely occur if the leather has dried out enough to be that fragile in the first place. It is best to pass on furs in that condition and keep looking for one in better shape, even if the style is pretty.
If an old fur in a pretty style that you love has been well cared for and is clean and in good condition buy it and enjoy it!
Let’s take a look at a pre-owned Ermine garment currently on the market as an examples of what you might find:
Here is a choice pre-owned Ermine and Chinchilla Ivory Swing Cape with Hood and Matching Purse made of the 125 Ermine Tails from the pelts used in the cape. It is vintage from the 1990s, originally from Neiman Marcus and was created by Italian designer Giuliana Teso. It has been professionally cleaned and appraised. The price is $3000 – a fraction of what it would cost new – as you will see when you read the recently done appraisal.
This listing has everything you should look for when purchasing a valuable pre-owned fur:
1) Comprehensive photographs showing all the details,
2) a thorough description listing the origins of the fur and the garment, and describing its condition,
3) a professionally done appraisal for your home owners policy that will come with the purchase.
The body of this cape is made of ermine pelts sewn together in a diagonal pattern forming a V shaped design. You can see this if you look very carefully at the back view. The fluffier wider border accent around the bottom is super soft bleached white chinchilla.
This cape and purse would be a beautiful set for a modern winter bride who could wear the cape during her wedding ceremony and leave for her winter season honeymoon wearing the cape over a short dress while carrying the fabulous matching ermine tail bag. Wow!
The matching purse is made of white leather and 125 black tipped winter ermine tails taken from the pelts used to construct the hooded cape.
A real plus with this set is the recently done professional appraisals. This seller has gone the extra mile to have this ensemble cleaned and appraised prior to listing it for sale.
When I started this post I intended to write about the three luxury furs that inspired Weil’s to create their Fur Perfumes: Ermine, Sable and Chinchilla. However, Ermine was so interesting that the post became really long just discussing it! Therefore I am going to end this post after a few more words on Ermine and continue this theme with Sable and Chinchilla in my next sequel …..
Buyers should be aware when shopping for a pre-owned or vintage fur that is costs a seller a goodly extra amount to have a fur cleaned and appraised. This is something you might have to pay for yourself after buying a per-loved fur item if a seller has not done it. It should be done by a professional furrier. I will provide the name of the furrier I use at the end of this post should you need such services. Ideally a fur garment will fit you and be ready to wear when you acquire it, but this is not always the case. Sometimes repairs, alterations and cleaning are needed. I have bought several vintage furs myself that needed restoration work and alterations done. They were pretty styles and the fur was basically in good shape when I acquired them, but after my furrier cleaned and glazed them they looked spectacular and fit me like they had been custom made.
I was able to get vintage furs in styles I loved that looked as beautiful as new ones after being reconditioned and they cost me a fraction of the price of a new one! I use Swiss furrier Rene’ Vogel for all my fur related needs. He does identification of mystery furs, alterations, cleaning, remodeling and appraisals. I highly recommend his work.
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.
I want to thank Barbara Koich AKA, Barb ” The Fur Lady” on Etsy, for letting me write about her furs and sharing her photos and information on the beautiful fur items listed in her Etsy Shop. She carries high quality hand picked vintage furs of all kinds and can be trusted for the exceptional quality of her pieces and her excellent customer service. I regularly shop there for furs myself because I know they will be high quality. Check out her shop!
Rare and beautiful historic clothing and accessories, jewelry, vintage furs, leather goods and vintage fragrances 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 perfumes, vintage furs and fur trimmed items are currently listed for sale 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.
As I was researching the Christian Dior 1969-70 Fall/Winter Fur Collection I came across this photograph of according to the caption. “Sylvie Vartan trying on a fur coat in Paris” taken 1964. This does not look like a coat for a woman – it actually looks like a coat for a leopard himself – hmmm……….
The attitude toward furs was certainly different in that time to what it is now.
