When it comes to vintage fur coats, one aspect many owners struggle with is identifying exactly what kind of fur they have. This is especially common for those who have inherited their fur, as its history (and any relevant documentation) eventually gets lost over time. Luckily, there are a few ways to distinguish between the different varieties of fur there are out there. In this blog article, you’ll find a handy guide to telling various types of fur coats apart from each other.

The Determining Process

There are quite a few methods you can follow to learn what kind of fur you own. We’ll go over them step by step.

• How is your fur styled? Certain animal furs are used in different ways than others. For instance, smaller animals, such as rabbits and foxes, tend to be made into smaller types of fur apparel. You can often find them in the form of wraps and collars.

• What color is your fur? Naturally, different types of fur coats feature their own distinct colors. At the same time, animals of one species may come in several different hues. The animal’s natural habitat can be the biggest clue. If an animal comes from a chilly environment, they’ll likely have darker fur. Animals from hot places tend to have vibrant or neutral coloration. It’s worth noting, however, that this step won’t help you much if your fur is dyed.

• What texture is the fur? Again, this factor depends on climate conditions. Animals from cold climates tend to have thicker, denser types of fur. Warm-weather animals, however, will have fur of a thin, coarse texture.

• How long is the fur? Weasels, minks and related animals will have shorter fur than raccoons and foxes, for example.

The Most Common Types of Fur

While you can likely find fur apparel made from just about any mammal out there, it’s important to know which are most frequently converted into clothing. This will help you narrow down the possibilities if you ever have to figure out where your coat came from.

• Raccoon is quite popular among vintage fur accessories, and comes most frequently in hat form. You’ll recognize it most likely by its thick, ringed tail. In the event your raccoon accessory comes tailless, you can distinguish it by its silvery, long fur.

• Mink is another extremely popular and common variety. Who doesn’t love a gorgeous mink fur coat? You can identify mink by its rich, dark color and slick appearance. The fur itself is short and thick, but doesn’t have quite as much body as you’d find with other animal furs.

• Rabbits produce far more than lucky feet! They also are a staple of fur fashion. Rabbit fur is also the most likely to be dyed. Its fur is long and feels very pleasant to the touch.

We hope this blog has taught you a thing or two when it comes to telling the difference between the various types of fur coats out there! To learn more about fur varieties, or look into purchasing a new type of fur, contact us anytime!