Wednesday 13 February 2013

Cold weather gear



This past December I bought a fur coat. I never set out for a purchase of this kind, for several reasons: weather in Britain rarely calls for such extreme wrapping, fur coats are generally bulky therefore tend to overwhelm my small frame, and also because, in spite of already owning a couple of collars and a double fox pelt, I remain somewhat ambivalent about fur, albeit vintage. 
So here I am with my impulse purchase, which I tried on out of curiosity for the fit and ended up not being able to leave behind. 

 

Before I carry on, I expect that the caricature above might inspire some of your comments. Whereas I am fully aware that fur is a controversial subject,  I have no desire to entertain a conversation about the moral issues surrounding fur, as justified as they may be,  I am merely sharing an interest in a vintage item of fashion. There are plenty of other outlets to express your moral position should you wish to do so. I would like to remind everyone that my blog is a personal space and I hope that you will respect that. Thank you.

I must say this coat is very cosy, soft and lightweight. The fur is silky and short, the vendor wasn't quite sure as to the type of fur but suggested rabbit. 
With little expertise in this field, after a few hours of research I concluded that it could only be that or some type of weasel. It doesn't feel like a domestic cat, which is apparently one way to identify rabbit fur, but I guess processing can significantly change the texture and appearance of a fur. Rabbit fur is the lowest quality fur out there, and in the 50's they would have shaved it, dyed it, and generally processed the hell out of it  in order to make it look higher end. 
Rabbit fur also sheds badly and has a "life" expectancy of only 3 to 5 years, so if this is rabbit it certainly keeps in fantastic shape, with no bold patches of any kind and no shedding whatsoever. 

 

The coat has not one, but two labels which say "Hopetonella - Furs of Distinction" and "Fashioned exclusively from skins produced by Chapal of Paris". 
I had little luck in researching the first one, but the second bears the name of well known company in the fur and leather industry, going back as far as 1832 and still strong in present day. 
The 1950's adverts above are for Chapal products and both boast the merits  of rabbit (coney) furs. I have borrowed them, together with the previous caricature, from Chapal's website, which has a very consistent section regarding company's history with plenty of photographs if anyone is interested.

 
 While the labels place this item firmly in the 50's, I felt that I could also make it work with my 30's wardrobe. At the end of the day swing shapes were very fashionable as far as mid to late thirties coats go, and other features such as the raglan sleeve, roomier in the middle, as well as the turned cuffs and large collar (that can sit flat or stand up) further contribute to facilitating that impression.

A friend pointed to me that an alteration must have been done to this coat as the bottom row of pelts are significantly shorter then the others. Looking at these pics I am now convinced they are right and the coat would have been longer originally and therefore more aesthetically balanced. Luckily since I am only  5f 4 this hardly constitutes a tragedy.

 

And here is what I wore underneath: a green knit ensemble that I haven't had the chance to show so far on this blog. It was too cold today though to take more photographs of it outside, so I'll just tease you with this one and leave the details for a future post. 
I wore it with: vintage malachite necklace and earrings, embroidered linen blouse from the 70's (used to be ma's), modern croc impressed leather belt, and a most recent purchase - 1930's shoes which I love and suffer for (yes, small is the word).


That's all.







































20 comments:

  1. you look stunning in this outfit, very nice...
    all the best, Christa

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    1. I wish :) The price point was really low, and while I didn't buy it from an expert, I certainly didn't buy it from a fool either.
      I admit I thought about it for a moment, as it is to some extent not unlike beaver in appearance (apart from the fact it is made from narrow strips), but that was exactly the point of those shaved, processed rabbit furs in the 50's - to pass for a lot more expensive furs.

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  3. Warm, cozy goodness! I have a wrap (that I don't wear as I tend to feel over dressed) and a Wonderful cranberry red 60s coat with bracelet sleeves and a HUGE fur collar; Lovely to wear and so warm!

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    1. I have worn the couple of modest collars I have, but never worn my double fox pelt in spite of having had that for nearly three years. A combination of lack of occasion (it really isn't for everyday wear)and fear of aggressive reactions. A collar you can get away with easier, but something with a plural of heads, tails and feet is rather more challenging.

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  4. Oh my goodness, that coat is sublime! I've always, always wanted a similar one (either in that rich brown hue or, alternatively, a warm beige-caramel teddy bear fur-esque hue). You look so immensely lovely, sweet dear!

    Happiest Valentine's Day wishes!!!
    ♥ Jessica

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    1. I really hope you get the coat of your dreams soon!

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  5. You just walked out of a movie! You remind me a bit of Peppy Miller from the Artist here ;-).

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    1. Thank you. I'm ashamed to say I haven't seen it yet...!! I know, I know, but I can't stand going to the cinema as the sound volume seems totally crazy to me and I just can't take it. On the other hand I don't like watching films on my computer either, it has to be on my tv screen whilst I am the most comfortable I can be. As a result I'm behind with a lot of things, but this one is definitely on my borrowing list.

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  6. LOOOVE the collar on the coat! And those SHOOOOES! Beautiful!

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    1. The shoes are so sweet! Not sure how long I can last in them though, they are are not a friendly width.

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  7. Thank you all kindly! It is a very cosy coat, and seems to fit perfectly...to think I stumbled upon it by accident and thought twice about even trying it on!

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  8. Stunning! I have a vintage fur stole that I just adore and it's in great condition too - though my mum was certain it was rabbit (she knows a bit more about fur than me) and it was very cheap. I wish I had more places to wear it.

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  9. The coat is stunning, and I love that the cooler flips up like that. I too have a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards fur. I would never buy new, but somehow vintage seems different. Most of my fellow boho bloggers do only faux, so when I post the odd fur find I'm always slightly trepidatious - but I've had no judgement. I like that the community I'm part of respects each others' personal choices. Your shoes are always killer, btw - how can you find them in such pristine condition?

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    1. I can definitely see all the points of view surrounding the fur subject, and I'm not fully convinced I can justify even the vintage choice. However, as you've seen, I own some. In any case I appreciate all your responses and the fact you have all respected my wish not to go into debate about it.Thank you.

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    2. Regarding my vintage shoes, I only own very few pairs and wouldn't go as far as to say they are in pristine condition. Still, they present great for their age. These ones here have a few scuffs on the toe area and a very visible blemish on one side that needs touching up...That's the way it is with vintage, it rarely is perfect. But I'm not, either.

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  10. I looove that fur coat!! I have quite a few vintage fur pieces, and if I buy anything new, it's faux. Anyway--your outfit is absolutely fantastic, and you look like a million bucks.

    Jordan
    http://jordansvintagekitchen.blogspot.com

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  11. I possibly can't express how much I adore your green knit ensemble ;) Is there anywhere I can direct my 'knitter' to find your patterns? and yes, I adore all of your posts - lovely style!

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    1. Thank you! This ensemble wasn't inspired by anything in particular, the skirt is just the typical mid calf length one mother always does, and the cardigan/sweater is a second attempt to recreate the one illustrated in this post:http://acatamongthepigeons.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/red-seams.html

      I can't be very precise when it comes to indicating knitting pattern sources since my stuff is not done by following a pattern, but it is the result of trying to recreate something based on solely the image of the finished product(kinda hard to do, hence the trial and error tribulations...) But you can find patterns on etsy, and there are of course the Iva Rose Knitting Reproductions available at http://www.ivarose.com/. Well known to vintage keen knitters are the 2 volumes of "A Stitch in Time" by Susan Crawford. I only have the first one but I have to say I am not big on it. Everything looks cute, but somehow failed to enthuse me. There are plenty of people more than enthusiastic about it though.

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