About Vintage Fur Coat .com

Fur has been considered to be one of the oldest forms of clothing in the world. It only made sense that early people used materials readily available around them to supply what they needed to survive. Fur was worn in ancient times to keep warm, and worn as a symbol of royalty and wealth by kings in early ages.

Fur coats have been used in fashion since the early 1600's, and for centuries as a status symbol of pronouncing prosperity as well. It has long since been valued for protection from the elements and as decoration. Demand and desire for fur in Europe pushed English fur traders to become explorers, which helped lead to discoveries in the New World, where upon making it to the shores of North America; they found an enormous supply of fur to be traded with early Native Americans. Over time, it became competitive among the established settlers to trade fur with Native Americans.

Although it had previously been the fashion to wear fur as a jacket lining, towards the end of the 19th century, it became fashionably popular to wear the fur of animals on the outside of coats. Seal fur was the first recorded use of fur being worn on the outside of coats in the 1840's. This was the beginning of the style of fur that is still worn today. The invention of the motorcar helped to boost the popularity of fur coats on women and men in the beginning of the twentieth century. Riding in cars was a very cold activity because they were not enclosed and made conditions very windy and frigid. So the upper class men and women, who would take a Sunday drive, did it in their heavy luxurious fur coats to keep themselves warm and look their best.

Throughout recent decades, fur coats were made to reflect the style of the decade it was made in. The retro look of these coats has become highly desirable to fur wearers of today. The durability of fur coats cannot be surpassed. When you are looking for the best quality in vintage fashion, fur coats are a lasting piece of iconography that never goes out of style. Fur fashion is not a trend, it is timeless. A fur coat that has been appropriately cared for and cleaned has been able to withstand a very long and fashionable life.

Buying a brand new fur coat can be very expensive. In the economy of today, not everyone can or is willing to pay the excessive, costly price of a brand new fur coat. Then again, why should you when there are beautiful vintage fur coats available with little wear at a price that is significantly lower than a new fur coat? Why not make your dream come true and buy the fur coat you always wanted, but at an affordable price. The new fur coats being made today are vastly trying to emulate the retro look of fur coats in decades past. Save money and own a real retro vintage fur coat, and you'll be sporting the latest looks minus the egregious prices of today's new fur coats.

Buying vintage fur is also a form of recycling. The sustainability of reusing vintage fur is another perk. Being environmentally and socially conscious can be a part of your decision in buying a vintage fur coat. Also, fur is a completely natural and biodegradable product unlike faux fur and other man made clothing that are not so environmentally friendly. Fur is the most environmentally compatible textile on the market today. Fur provides a luxurious texture that can't be genuinely reproduced. Vintage fur can really add a fresh look to your wardrobe. There is a certain essence in vintage fur coats that isn't found in modern new fur coats made today. A vintage fur coat can add ultimate luxury and glamour to your wardrobe. A brand new fur depreciates in value just like a brand new car. It is not an investment. It's a luxury, and the minute you buy a new fur it is worth less.

That's one reason a vintage fur is a more sensible buy, like a used car can be great looking, work well, and cost less than a new one. Fur coats come in so many different designs and styles. You can find a modestly beautiful fur coat for common everyday wear just as easily as finding a full length fancy fur coat for an extravagant evening out on the town. Furs are so versatile. They can be dyed any color in the rainbow to match your personal style and fashion needs. There are so many different types of fur with different lengths, color tones, density, level of warmth, and construction patterns. There is sure to be a fur coat that is just perfect for your personal needs, desires, and your budget. What better way to revive the glamour of days gone by, than with a retro looking true vintage fur coat?

Vintage fur is a very hot item and has become wildly collectible and fashionable in the last few years. Vintage fur coats are a luxury that you deserve, and can afford at vintage prices.

Vintage furs from the 20’s and 30’s

The decades following the turn of the last century were heady days for fashion designers. Fresh from the Victorian and the Edwardian eras designers were keen to prove a point with the fun-loving generation that made up the Roaring 20's. Furriers in France, Canada and the U.S. opened shops in every major city to supply the in crowd with luxurious outerwear to compliment the styles of the times. The elegant gentleman of the 20's might wear his full length raccoon coat while his date wore her lynx or mink for a night on the town. It was the dawn of the age of the automobile and designers answered with shorter "car coats" that would keep the occupant warm but allow freedom to enter and exit the vehicle with grace.

As the decade progressed the flapper look became very popular and every fashionable young woman wanted a mink stole or a chinchilla muff to compliment her look. Fur lined hats were popular as well as the party goers attempted to fend off the winter chill.

The 1930's heralded in a sense of austerity. Furs became more utilitarian as the world bundled up against the cold. many of the furriers in the city centers closed their doors while a few remained open. Times were hard for the consumer, the retailer and the provider of pelts. Trappers began to rely on their traps to provide food for their families rather than providing for a fickle fur market.

This generation is mostly gone having left their furs to family. These vintage furs are showing up in many venues from second hand stores to online auction houses. Look for a fur that has been stored properly and taken care of. It isn't uncommon to find that some seams have opened, liners have shattered, and some minor repairs to the garment have to be made when purchasing a fur from this era. Bargains can certainly been had especially if you are able and willing to make small repairs yourself.

Vintage furs from the 40’s and 50’s

Nothing in popular culture has conveyed the glamour of fur coats more than the old 1940's Hollywood movie stars and their full length fur coats. Although, there was a drawback of popularity in fur coats, especially in the United States in the early 1940’s due mostly to the beginning of World War II and materials shortages.

The elite socialites of the era remained wearing their decadent fur fashions. The glamorous movie actresses also helped to keep the desire for fur common. The fur coats that were still worn in the 1940’s were long, mostly three quarter length, and often times darker, striped fur. Fur capes became an envied item and regained its popularity on a massive scale in the late 40's when the war was over and the shortages of materials were no longer an issue. Americans prospered after the war, and fur coats were being bought by the truckload.

The 1950’s led way to a whole new era in fur coat fashions. A more adventurous style emerged, with brighter dyed colors, and bold new designs. Some exotic style of furs was used more often during the 1950's that hadn't been seen in past decades. Fur capes were also popular in the 1950's, but had a shorter length to them than their predecessors in the late 1940's. The ever popular swagger fur coats made their debut in the 1950's.

High profile women wearing fur were splashed all over the fashion magazines and every fashion conscious woman had to have a fancy fur coat in her closet by the end of the 1950's. A rise in popularity of automobiles gave way to the need for coats that were functional and easier to wear when riding in a car. A shorter style of fur coat became all the rage. The bolero was introduced added that needed modesty with a touch of glamour.

Oversized buttons and fancy lining was used in fur coats of the 1950's. In the 1950's, the role of a housewife and mother began to take a turn towards the workplace for some women. They began to exude a sense of power and glamour all at the same time by wearing luxurious fur coats.

Vintage furs from the 60’s and 70’s

The 1960’s were defined by social and political change and a modern new look in everything, including fashion trends, and fur coats of the swingin' 60's came right along for the ride. Patterns were inventive and artistic with the ragingly popular British “mod” look that still has a modern appeal to it today.

Fur coats had previously been a common fashion tool of the older social elite, but in the 1960’s, younger people became an important part of the fashion scene. This led to the immergence of fur coats being a trend with the younger, hip crowd of the era. Hippy chic led to the bohemian look in the late 60's, and fur coats were made to fit this look. Designers experimented with dying fur crazy new colors, and by adding all types of folding textures to the fur. The young artsy look of the 60's was defined by the oversized, bulky fur coat.

The kimono style fur cape re-emerged as a popular look in the 1960's. The 1970’s gave way to the trendy trench belted fur coat. This floor length number with its wide lapel was the hit of its day. Leather accents and accessories became the commonplace in 70's fur fashion. Pieced together, quilt like pelts made into complete fur coats gained some popularity around this time. More automobiles in the 1970's had enclosed heat, and the demand for heavy long coats wavered because of this.

This created a demand for more breathable, shorter coats with a lighter density of fur. The end of the 1970's was when disco was peaking and glam rock was finding its place in the fashion world. Flashy off the wall colors and stripes were added to fur coats being worn by top models and famous musicians.

Vintage furs from the 80’s and 90’s

The prosperity of the 1980's brought the attitude that excess is good, and what better way to convey wealth and prosperity than to don an elegant fur coat. The fur bomber jacket made it to the height of popularity in the 1980's with the younger crowd. They wanted a fur coat that could be worn everyday. Puffy sleeves and shoulder pads were in every fashionable piece of clothing in the 80's. This same fate didn't escape fur coats. Trench coats made of fur became an 80's fashion staple. Many fur coats rode out a couple of decades in the back of closets. The backlash on fur and decline of its common place in fashion in the late 1980's to the early 1990's led to a trend to go back to the basics.

The Inuit and Dede tribes of Northern Canada sold fur pelts and collaborated with furriers to make a more natural design that tied in a traditional way of life with fashion to try to deflect from the previous reputation of excess that fur had been given, now giving it a more natural and earthy appeal. The fur coats that did make it out of closets in the 1990's often times had a more body hugging tailored effect to them. Minimalism was the key, and the furs of this period were often very drastically sheared and basic looking. The classic minimalist look of 1990’s fur coats has actually made them a desirable lasting piece of high fashion vintage wear. Toward the end of the 1990's, designers got more daring with styles of fur coats by adding more exotic looking furs, and brilliant new colors into the mix.