Q.) Why should I should I buy a fur from Fashion Furs?
A.) Because Fashion Furs is a company you can have confidence in. We have been in business since 1983 and our employees have experience working with furs well before then. Fashion Furs is an American company located in the U.S.A. that you can call anytime using our toll-free phone number. In addition, you'll pay a lot less for better quality than our online competition, and freestanding fur retail stores can't even come close to our prices for an equivalent quality.
Q.) How does Fashion Furs sell Furs so cheap, at what seems like vintage fur and faux fur (fake fur) prices?
A.) Easy… we keep our costs low by cutting out the “middle-men”, not having a retail storefront or salespeople. Plus, we keep tight controls on materials and manufacturing which allows us to keep quality up and prices down. Most importantly, we're not greedy… we subscribe to the uncommon theory of simply not charging any more than we have to, to remain a healthy business.
Q.) Why does Fashion Furs selection of fur merchandise seem relatively limited?
A.) We concentrate on select materials of higher quality that we can obtain at a good price to retain our level of value. We also focus on a limited number of designs so that they can be perfected. The combination of these factors result in Fashion Furs having the ability to offer value oriented fur coats, fur jackets and fur accessories at a superior quality level than our competition at a much lower price. In addition, Fashion Furs is always working on adding new fur products to our website to round out our product selection.
Q.) Why is Fashion Furs merchandise better quality?
A.) Our competition, both internet and retail stores, concentrates on two factors; “How cheap can we get materials?” and “How high can we sell it for?” Fashion Furs thinks more progressively than that. We ask “What is the Quality we will be willing to accept so that our customers will be satisfied with their purchase?” and “What is a reasonable price to charge for the merchandise to remain healthy and promote demand for the product?”
Secondly, during manufacturing we put in the extra effort to make sure the quality of workmanship assures better durability and better looking Fur Fashion. In other words we make sure that the seams are tight and the fit is right!
Q.) Does Fashion Furs sell real fur?
A.) Yes. Fashion Furs sells ONLY real fur. You will not find any faux fur or fake fur here. Faux and fake furs are a plastic derivative made from petroleum oil. It is harmful to the environment and feels like carpet. (also see Q: is it politically incorrect to wear fur?)
Q.) Does Fashion Furs sell used furs, vintage furs, recycled furs, or previously owned furs?
A.) No, Fashion Furs sells ONLY new fur. We sell only new furs to retain consistency and efficiency. In addition, we know the origin and quality of the material. With used fur, vintage fur, or previously-owned fur it is impossible to know where it came from, how well the pelts were originally processed, most importantly how old the garment or material is, and lastly, how well the fur was cared for. There is quite a large risk when purchasing a used fur, it may only have one year left before it will disintegrate. You just never know.
(also see our Fur Fashion Guide for information regarding vintage furs and fashion)
Q.) How do I choose which size to order my new fur?
A.) Some of the items sold on Fashion Furs have overlapping size ranges. For example; a size small will be listed as fitting dress sizes 8-10 and a size medium will be listed as fitting dress sizes 10-12. (You will notice that both cover dress size 10). If you are a consistent size 10 you would want to order size small. If you are an in between size that usually wears a size 10 but sometimes wears a size 12 then you would want to order a medium.
Our sizing standards already compensate for wearing a sweater underneath your new fur for fashions where this would be appropriate.
Q.) How long should my new fur last?
A.) Any mink jacket, mink coat, or fox fur sold by Fashion Furs should have a minimum useful life expectancy of 10 years if properly cared for. Rabbit fur is slightly less.
Q.) If I don't like the fur I purchased may I return it?
A.) Yes. See our policies page for details.
Q.) What if my new fur purchase does not fit?
A.) You may exchange or return it. See our policies page for details.
Q.) When is it appropriate to where a fur coat or fur jacket ?
A.) The correct question would be “When is it appropriate to wear a coat or jacket?” Today, there are no rules, you can wear a fur coat or fur jacket whenever you feel it is cold enough to warrant it.
You also don't need to save your fur for a special occasion or formal event. These modern and highly fashionable times make fur more versatile. You can wear your full-length mink with jeans for a casual dinner and movie or over an evening gown to attend a charity ball. A mink bomber jacket or fox bomber jacket can be worn to run errands, and of course fur accessories , fur purses and fur handbags can be worn or carried all year long.
Q.) How do I care for my fur coats , fur jackets and fur accessories ?
A.) Hang your fur in a closet of your home where the climate is hospitable. Avoid hanging your furs in areas that are hot or humid, like an attic, and avoid damp areas such as a basements.
Do not cover it. Do not cram it in with other garments.
Never hang it in a cedar closet. Cedar absorbs moisture from the air and will dry-rot your fur.
Keep mothballs away from your fur. They will cause the leather to dry out.
It's OK to wear your fur when it is snowing or in light rain, but do not let it get soaked through to the leather (remember, fur is leather with the hair still on it.)
Have your furs cleaned once per year whether you wear it or not. (Furs are not cleaned just because they are visibly dirty, but more importantly, to remove make-up, dust, and air pollutants from the fur itself.)
Have your furs cleaned by an authorized furrier only, not a dry cleaner.
It is recommended that you store your furs at an authorized furrier with proper storage facilities that are kept below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Q.) What is the difference between mink, fox and other types of furs?
A.) Mink fur is slightly more dense than fox fur. It also is has a much shorter hair length than fox fur, therefore mink fur has a more velvety look and feel than fox fur which is fluffier. Mink fur (one of the most durable furs for daily wear) is slightly more durable than fox fur.
Of all furs mink fur is typically most desirable for both for its fashion and practicality.
There is large variety of fur types available and each has different characteristics. Warmth, weight, fur length, fur density, color tones and construction techniques can all vary depending on the type of fur.
Q.) What type of fur is the most popular?
A.) As far as fur type, mink fur and fox fur are the most popular due to their fashionable look, lighter weight and durability. Rabbit fur is very common because it is inexpensive and feels exceptionally soft. It has a lower durability factor but is worth the value when you weigh its cost versus useful life expectancy. Beaver fur is also somewhat popular due to the fact that it is one of the warmest and most durable furs, but is heavier and slightly bulky. Raccoon fur is very popular as trimming on leather, suede and cloth garments.
Fur can be dyed any and all colors of the rainbow, which you choose is a matter of personal taste.
Sheared furs are also quite popular but lack the look of long hair fur.
Q.) What is the difference between Male and Female pelts?
A.)“Male” and “Female” refers to the gender of full mink fur pelts. It is not relevant to mink fur sections and no gender determination is made for other fur types. Female mink pelts tend to be slightly better quality, but not always. (This is a guideline not a rule.) Female mink pelts are also narrower than male mink pelts. Male mink pelts sometimes have thicker leather and are therefore slightly heavier. The greater width of male pelts is often more desirable when constructing men's garments. This is due to the wider vertical stripe giving a more masculine look to the fashion of the finished garment.
Q.) Isn't it politically incorrect to wear fur?
A.) Actually it's the opposite, wearing FUR IS GREEN!
Fur is a truly sustainable and renewable natural resource. Furriers, whether trappers or farmers, have the highest level of respect for both their animals and the land. To harm either, would be to harm themselves.
Also consider… a recent study of consequences from various textiles on the environment was undertaken at Oregon State University . The study included methods to obtain, process, fabricate, maintain and dispose of a broad range of textiles including wool, leather, fur, cotton, silk, linen, rayon, polyester, nylon and acrylic (fake fur is made from nylons and acrylics) were evaluated across a number of environmental variables. In composite scoring across all environmental criteria, the farmed and wild fur outperformed ALL other textiles for Environmental Compatibility.
Fur Garment Terminology :
Natural – Fur garments that have not been dyed, or have had their color only slightly enhanced with a very small amount of dye are labeled as “Natural”.
Dyed – Fur that has been dyed enough to significantly change it from the original color, or change the color of the underlying leather from white to the color of the dye, are labeled as “Dyed”.
Ranch Mink – refers to black mink.
Mahogany Mink – refers to dark brown mink.
Whiskey (or Wild) Mink – refers to mink that is a rich golden color.
Lunaraine Mink – refers to light brown mink.
Degrede Mink – refers to vertical fading of color within a mink garment. For example, the collar and shoulders of a coat may be black and fade to a golden color in the middle and then back to black again towards the bottom of the coat.
Full-pelt Fur (also referred to as “let-out”) – A fur garment that is constructed of full pelts or let-out pelts is made from the largest, best part of the pelt. The pelt has been manipulated in such a way that what started out as a rectangular, (approx. 10x8 inches) piece of material is now a long narrow vertical strip in the garment, up to 52 inches long.
Fur Sections (also referred to as Patterned, Sculptured, or Pieces) – A fur garment that has been assembled from less consistent, smaller pieces of material trimmed from full pelts. These “sections” can be arraigned randomly or into unique and stylish patterns. Mink, Fox and rabbit are popular choices for fur sections garments.
Sheared – process by which the longer, shinier “guard hairs” of the fur are sheared off, leaving only the soft velvety underfur of the pelts.
Length (Back Length) – measurement from the back base of the neck down to the hem of the garment.
Sleeve Length – measurement from side base of neck, over shoulder down to the wrist where the edge of the cuff is.
Nap – the distance from the top of the underfur (the denser shorter fur that gives a fur coat its warmth) to the tips of the guard hairs (the longer shiny more sparse hairs). The shorter the nap the more velvety look a fur will have. The longer the nap, the more fuzzy or hairy the fur will appear. The term “nap” applies to all fur types, but is most commonly used to describe the quality of mink.
Crop Jacket – jacket usually less than 20 inches in length or where the hem is at, or above, the belly button.
Jacket – approximately 20 to 30 inches in length covering the mid-section or hips.
3/4 Coat (also referred to as a “Car Coat”) – length falls somewhere between rear and knees. Most popularly about mid-thigh.
7/8 Coat (also referred to as a “City Coat) – length falls between knees and mid-calf.
Full-Length Coat – hem of coat falls between mid-calf and top of the foot. Most popularly to the top of the ankle.