Fur coat. What kind of fur to choose?

[tweed_for_me]

Hello

Oh, its winter, its cold and we all want to stay warm.
So, fur coats. They used to be around for us men to, looking at some old photos and I se men dressed with fur.
Not so much today, sadly.

But, I like to have one. But, what kind of fur to choose? Wolf looks great, but maybe a bit warm to...

Any idea?

Thanks all, wish you all a warm afternoon.

[Costi]

Whatever you choose, put it on the inside of the overcoat.

[tweed_for_me]

Can I ask why? If on the outside, will it look just to "dandy"?

[Costi]

Because it is meant to keep you warm, which it does best when worn reversed. A fur collar is all that remains in sight and it seems more discreet to me.

[old henry]

Costi is right ... inside. The Blue Book of Mens Tailoring has a draft for the shell of a fur lined coat. . I believe they used mink.

[Jordan Marc]

Unless you have a yend to imitate Sergei Diaghilev, impressario of the Ballet Russe, who wore a black overcoat with a Persian lamb collar and lapels, I don't think a mink-lined coat is going to be to your
likeing. It's ungodly uncomfortable, heavy, and doesn't move with you gracefully. The key to keeping warm in winter are layers of natural fibers, relatively thin, that trap air in between that is warmed by your own body heat. You're better off wearing a heavyweight double-breasted overcoat made of tightly
woven wool. If you want to keep your head warm, try a genuine Russian beaver hat. Although some people find them reminiscent of Cold War commies, a beautifully made beaver lid is a knockout. Warning, the best of them are plenty pricey. Save the mink for the lady in your life, and pray she doesn't ask for a Russian sable coat next year.

JMB

[Costi]

Does he look overwhelmed with weight?
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/26593 ... ilarAssets
Fur (and particularly mink) is valued for the very fact that it provides excellent warmth at a fraction of the weight of wool cloth, so naturally the cloth used in a mink lined overcoat needn't be too heavy - it is just an outer shell. If the fur is well processed and in good condition, it is not only feather-light, but also malleable and soft like a pullover.
My warmest headwear is a pilot-style fox hat with ear flaps, that has the fur on the inside and is doubled in fine brown leather on the outside (snowproof, too, unlike exposed fur). It's simply too warm to wear above -5 C.

[Costi]

February 1847, a writer urges his musician friend to visit Russia after a financial fiasco in Paris. The friend takes his advice and his fur coat before departure:

"You have been good enough to offer me your fur coat; could you kindly send it to me tomorrow at 41 rue de Provence. I will treat it with care and will return it to you faithfully in four months. The coat I was counting on seems to me much too short and I am particularly worried about getting my legs cold. […]"

And so Balzac's fur coat travelled from Paris to St Petersburg and back on the shoulders of Hector Berlioz, whose "Damnation of Faust" had a resounding success in Russia.

[tweed_for_me]

Hi and thanks for helping me.

But, I need some more help, on some old photos I have, one can se men dressed in coats, fur, with the hair on the out side. They used wolf, mink, beaver and so. Some also was made of bear hides.
I guess they was warm and also very heavy.

I think a fur coat is great, a old garment with long traditions, but as many things getting lost. Maybe also the fact that we do not "need" a wolf coat anymore, traveling in warm cars rather than horse and sledge.

Have the fur coat for men, been "lost" because of these things and also that some feel it makes us/them who use it look to much like a savage man? But, at the same time, we, I did, buy fur coats for the lady`s.

[storeynicholas]

Evelyn Waugh had a coat made out of lion skin (fur on the inside).
NJS

[Costi]

Fascinating! Now we must say, in defence of this particular fashion, that the classic Herculean look is with the lion fur on the outside. Interesting that Waugh didn't take as much effort to disguise the club

[storeynicholas]

Yes: fur on the outside with the mane around the collar and lapels
NJS

[Leaves]

A great coat in fur might pay homage to the past. But these days you will more likely look like an Eastern European newly-made-rich-guy. Sorry. (and I hope I did not offend any of the forum’s members from that part of the world)

Why not make a great coat , raglan sleeves, with a shawl collar (is this the correct English term?) in fur and the lining in fur. Good compromise? I have an illustration of one from around 1910 lying around somewhere. I’ll try and post it when I find it.

[ay329]

LL Navy Everest Cashmere DB Greatcoat with grey Astrakhan lapels, collar and sleeve cuffs coupled with a matching interior lining of the grey Astrakhan would be cozy. Just add a Gorbachev style Astrakhan cap to complete the look...compliments of a Suitable Wardrobe: http://store.dynend.com/silver-grayastr ... orhat.aspx

[Simon A]

Newly-made-rich Eastern European guys ? I suggest you watch "Dr Zhivago" to see how Russian Old Money used to dress outdoors in midwinter Most of the Novyi Russkiy types I see in the CIS wear expensive lightweight cashmere coats, purely to decorate their shoulders as they march from hotel lobby to limousine to villa...

I spend part of each year working in places with temperatures below -35 centigrade. People are still in the habit of enjoying the fresh air in the parks in such weather. In such an environment, even the best woollen overcoat probably won't cut it. You have only two choices, down-filled garments, which are unspeakably ugly, or a set of furs. If made properly a fur coat feels no heavier than an overcoat.

Wolf is an endangered species in most places, so best to go with something more sustainable. Beaver is cheap and very warm indeed, and looks very masculine. Raccoon is fine if you don't mind looking like the wild man from the Taiga. Fox is another good option, elegant and warm.

If the only wear it will get is between your front door and your car, better to stick with a woollen overcoat (like ay329's suggestion); it is easier to care for and store. If you like taking brisk walks along the riverfront at -35 degrees for hours, go for the fur coat (and make sure to have a matching Ushanka made).