{Vintage Fur Stole} Product of the Week!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 8:40AM I have a feeling I might get a little back lash for this post/product, but so be it. The item in question is a fur stole.
My 2 cents on fur:
I don’t think animals should be raised purely to slaughter for the sake of fashion. This kind of “manufacturing” simply doesn’t fit into our contemporary society. I wouldn’t want to wear fur in that way and I don’t support it. I do however, believe in recycling, up-cycling, refurbishing and reusing. And I am carnivorous. It is my hope that all parts of the animal end up in good use — including skin and fur. Vintage furs are out there in the world. I can’t help what has already been done. I can’t undo it. I can, however, redo it.
For the record, the ASPCA does not believe in vintage fur. While I generally stand behind them on many issues, there are others I don’t. Vintage fur is one of them. I like the idea of using second hand fur. The material lasts for generations if handled well and the use value of fur is really good in northern climates. Fur is WARM!
OK, now that that’s out of the way….on to the Product of the Week!
Vintage Fur Stole
OK, so I found this fur collar at a flea market along with some other collars and cuffs for a steal. The pelt was in relatively good condition: it was pliable, no cracks or tears. There was one little crinkly spot, but I bought it anyway.
I’m not sure what this fur is, and neither did the seller. We think it’s mink. Or rabbit. I don’t think it’s fox, but it could be. I have a vintage fox fur jacket and the furs are nothing alike, but I’m not a furrier. All I know is that it’s definitely animal (it wasn’t lined when I bought it) and it’s definitely pretty!
So I lightly oiled the inner pelt to make it as soft as possible. There are recipes online that include natural oils (olive, flaxseed, etc.) that you mix with a mild acid (like vinegar) to condition leather and skins. I’d never done this before so was super nervous. However, it totally worked! No weird smell afterwards and I got it as soft as possible, methinks. The one little wrinkle can still be felt, but I don’t think it deters from the overall piece.
Now this collar had clearly been ripped off of something else. It still had an odd sort of binding tape sewn to it that I was fearful of removing based on the delicate nature of the piece. I left it there.
I completely re-lined the fur with a super-soft felt batting, just to give it a little more dimension and softness. Then I lined it with a slub weave, satin-back matte gold silk that matches those darker areas of fur.
The clasp is a vintage rhinestone brooch that I still have to clean before I add it on. You can see the little pin holding it on in the below photo.
I’ve got some hang-ups on this piece though. The edges were not trimmed well and I needed to preserve as much of the fur as possible. As a result, some of the outside edges feel wonky if you run your hand across the underside of the stole. I don’t like how the lining isn’t laying completely flat either, because of those wonky edges. Honestly, there’s nothing I can do about it and it’s not noticeable when the piece is on. However, my highly critical self is wondering if it’s sellable.
To a regular consumer, I bet it’s just fine. Most people think my concerns are too hairsplitting anyway, so I’m trying to keep that in mind. And I can totally see this on a fall or winter bride – someone who has or wants a bit of vintage flair to their wedding ensemble. I like it because it’s not one of the big white puffballs you see everywhere on the interwebs.
I’m considering it for a give-away, but that vintage rhinestone piece is sooooo beautiful (and it wasn't cheap), so maybe not.
And did you notice my lovely model? That’s right, I got a dress form from The Candyman for my birthday! And this is a no shit, kick-ass dress form. I actually DIY’d my own body form out of duct tape (check out this tutorial from Thread Bangers) but it just stood in the corner and stared at me, mocking me in it’s inadequacy. The Candyman really came through with the most awesome and generous birthday gift. Here’s a full length shot:
Ooooh, and from this angle, I just noticed that wonky edge. See it just above her left boob? You can’t see it straight on or looking down on it though. Hm. I’m also noting that my bottom book shelves are actually sagging under the weight of all my books. And yes, those are my cake toppers poking out from one of my pattern drafting folders.
OK, so loving my dress form. I’m kind of loving the fur stole. I need feedback though, people. Should I sell it or consider it for a give-away since its not 100% perfect or what? Or am I over-analyzing, yet again?
Help.
Designer, TruLu Couture
Blogger. Wife. Smart Ass.
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Reader Comments (8)
Stop being crazy and sell it. :) And that dress form is LOVELY!
You, my friend, are over-analyzing. :) Sell that baby and let some lucky chick ROCK IT!
And, that Candyman of yours is just the sweetest. Yay for puns!
I'm in love. Don't give it away! I'd buy it!
My great aunt died and left behind a ton of vintage stoles. Fox, mink, rabbit. The fox one still had the head attached, which was a little creepy. I wish I had kept them, I'd find reasons to wear them all the time! (maybe not the fox though. It looked like it would leap off your shoulders and chase someone).
BEAUTIFUL! I love it!
It's gorgeous and that broach really sets it off.
Hi Louise! I asked my DH what animal he thought it was, and he said it looked like either ermine or a fox mid-transition (up north animals go from summer brown to winter white, and sometimes get trapped mid-season). My money is on ermine, though, b/c it is such a lovely white color. I think it's lovely that you are giving this piece new life! And really, ermines are such buggers of an animal - they're our worst nightmare up here most days. No, really, they're like dumpsters with teeth and an awful disposition!
@AAB - I haven't heard from you in forever! Thanks for the comment! Well, I'm pretty sure it was rabbit after further consultation and online research, though this info is totally good to know! Good new s is that this suck SOLD in no time flat. :) Hooray!