Today’s furs are lightweight
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By Pirjo Mäenpää
Growth in the popularity of furs is the result of changes in fashion, as well as product development. Whereas the weight of a fur coat used to be enough to affect the posture of the person wearing it, today’s furs are lightweight and they breathe. A full-length mink coat does not weigh much more than an ordinary winter coat.
The reduction in the weight of fur garments is the result of development in the processing of fur. The cloth used as lining in fur coats has also become lighter, and there have been advances in sewing techniques.
The materials used in a coat and the way that it is processed affect the quality and price of a fur.
"The prices of fur pelts vary between EUR 10 and EUR 90 apiece. The different processing methods also raise the price. The most expensive method involves stretching a mink pelt so that it will stretch along the whole length of the coat. Then the pelt is just 4-5 centimetres wide, and the coat ends up with a huge number of seams. The sewing costs. However, a quality fur coat will last for more than ten years", fur retailer Harri Nappari says.
An inexperienced buyer will see the difference between good and poor quality only when the fur is in use.
"Over time, a poor-quality fur withers, and starts to look worn out."
Finnish-made furs cost more than imports.
Gemmi Furs (formerly Grünstein), which operates in Loviisa, has labour costs that are many times more than in China, for instance.
"Our off-the-rack coats cost an average EUR 3,000-5,000, which is twice as much as those that are made in China. However, there is also a great difference in quality. The pelts of blue foxes raised in Finland are of much higher quality than those from China, and we use expensive textiles", says CEO
Maria Hyttinen.
Päivi Mononen-Minkkilä says that consumers today want more detailed information on the origin of the furs. People are very much interested in the production conditions.
"The SAGA brand is our strength and our competitive edge against China. If the brand is on the product, the consumer can be sure that the fur is produced in Western Europe."
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 17.11.2006
More on this subject:
 Understated furs most popular
FACTFILE: Fur sales on the increase around the world
Helsingin Sanomat
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