We are now officially in the midst of the “fur storage season”. This is the time of the year that fur owners are advised to bring their furs, leathers and luxury fabric outerwear into a salon to be put into the storage vault.
There are many reasons to store your garments. Here in Arizona, the extreme heat and dryness are among the most common. However, another big reason is to keep your garments from becoming a feast for moths and crickets. In recent years we have seen a dramatic uptick in the number of cases of damage done by moths and crickets and their larvae. The temperature control in our vault helps prevent bug damage. Our vault is highly secure—our security system is UL rated. There are some people who believe that the security and temperature of their at home wine cellars is a good place to store their furs. Don’t be fooled– this is not the case. The environment in a wine cellar/vault is appropriate for wine, but not for furs and cloth. The climate in a wine cellar can cause mold to grow on the fabric portions of your fur. We have had garments come into the salon with this problem and the required treatment was costly.
Furs should be cleaned, glazed and conditioned every other year at a minimum. It does not matter how often you wore your garment. The reason behind this is that the pelt of the fur needs to be conditioned in order to extend the life of the garment by replacing the natural oils that are no longer being produced. We liken it to moisturizing our skin. The process also removes dust particles that might have gathered in the fur as well as restoring shine and water repellency to the fur. There is no going backwards in the conditioning process—once a fur pelt has dried out, it becomes brittle and tears start to become evident. The likelihood of being able to repair a fur with dried out pelts is very slim, as the pelt will no longer hold a stitch—it will just tear more under the pressure of the sewing needle. Any tears, open seams, torn pocket corners, torn French tacks (tacks that hold the lining hem to the garment), loose or missing buttons or hooks and rings, etc., should all be taken care of at the time the garment is put into the vault.
The summer months are also the time to consider restyling your fur. If you find that you are not wearing it due to a change in lifestyle or because our climate is temperate, think about repurposing your garment. With the wide variety of options available for restyling, your fur can become an item in your wardrobe that you can get many months of wear out of each and every year. The restyles that we create are specifically geared toward the idea of clients being afforded the opportunity to wear their fur often, even in the Arizona climate. We offer many styles that are reversible to a variety of rain resistant and water repellent fabrics which are outstanding for travel. We have ways of making your fur lighter in weight as well.
Restyling is a great option for people who have inherited a fur which now has sentimental value and was passed down with the specific purpose—the giver wanted the recipient to have something to remember them by. The style/fashion might be outdated, but one of the advantages of fur is that it can be recycled or restyled. What a way to remember a favorite grandma, aunt or friend!
So if you have a fur, remember, with proper care it can last a lifetime. Now is the time to bring your garment in for storage, cleaning, and/or restyling.
For more information feel free to call the Evans Furs salon at 480-945-4600.
I don’t own any furs but this was very interesting to read! Who would have thought people put their furs in a wine cellar!