The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-05-17
FORTUNES IN FURS.
An English Furrier Gives Some
Details of High Prices.
Coats OF Fur That Cost $1,000 Altered
Every Year to Suit the Latest
Fashion-Einc Wardrobe of
Fur Worth $4,000.

Speaking of the $1,000 fur coat stolen
from Lady Warwick. in connection
with her description of herself as
splendid pauper" under the new Eng
lish tax laws, a furrier says To the West
minister Budget:
''As matter of fact. 81 900 for
lady's fur coat Is absolutely nothing
out of the way in our experience. On
the contrary. il Is rather low price for
a fur coat of lady OF means and Of
social position. There are large. num-
bcrs of such ladies who wear fur coats
of aboIt si.15O to just over $1,000. and
now and again, not 50 very rarely. we
make coat up to $1,000
What kind of fur are these coats
lined with?"
There are three kinds of expensive
fur-RuSSian sable. natural black fox
and sea otter But it Is not the lining
only that makes a coat expensive
The trimming II another very valuable
often the most valuable-part. Take
q set of Russian sable tails; that alone
costs $4,000, nor is this surprising,
since we pay 500 for one tiny skin as
it comes to US straight from Russia. IN
an unpreparcd state
Then. what constitutes such a sct?-
simply a plain front. collar and
cuffs, and deep garniture round the
coat. But remember how many tails
go to such a set. and remember. also.
that this * the most beautiful fur that
could possibly be had"
Il suppose a coat like this lasts for
evcr?~
1t does last for many years unless
ladies are careless with ii. But if You
give them very hard wear and neglect
them. it IS only natural that they
should soon be spoilt."
But what about changes in fashion,
Is the 5000 fur coat worn whether it
is made fashionable or not?~
"Oh. no; n great number Of these
coats come back to rs every year To
bc altered according to the latest
fashion
Are your customers Of this class
very fastidious and troublesome about
these costly garments?"
No. not in the very least OF course.
there may be exceptions occasionally.
but. on the whole. these ladies are far
easier to please than many. They have
confidence in Us; they know that tho
firm would supply nothing but what
was thoroughly good and genuine. Il
Is the people who want an ancient seal
skin Jacket altered. or something of
that kind. who often prove the most
troublesome. They seem To think that
we can put the fur back on the animal
nd turn it. from being worn and rot
ten. into new material. We do any
thing which it is possible To DO: but To-
turn old fur into new Is beyond tho
limitation of even the clcvercst fur
rier"
To return to the splendid paupers'
wardrobe of furs?"
"A long coat. n short one. perhaps
third. trimmed with fur. and a mufT
and cape. Such wardrobe Is worth
several thousands. and Won would bc
surprised to know how many ladies
have such a wardrobe. They look upon
their furs as upon their jewels. It
seems. | know one customer of ours
| whose wardrobe Of fur iS worth S75. 900.
and only the other day we made a Goa
for $4,000. and the trimming for the
coat of another lady cost 5000"
Then abo-t fur coats for men. It
! looks As if they We're becoming more
popular. Is that SOP"
! 1T is. indeed. Even six or seven
| years ago Englishmcn seemed ashamed
| to wear fur coats. and if You saw man
in such a coat You set him down At
| once to be either an actor. an artist or
a foreigner. That is no longer 50. al
though there are still good many men
who are Il little shy about the matter.
They want a fur coat. bat they don't
want it to be recognized aS such. so
| they have a coat lined with fur. but
| they don't have a fur collar or cuffs.
And since we have made it for years a
special feature to make fur coats fit it
is quite possible for a man to wear a
fur-Iincd overcoat that looks exactly
like an ordinary overcoat.
The majority of men. however. do
not mind ii being noticed that they
wear fur coats. And why should they.
Surelya man who goes out to his club
or to dinner at night. in evening dress.
which is much thinner than the clothes
he wears during the day. requires 4 fuT
coat. But mems coats are far less cX-
pensivc than ladies'. We make them
Up to g. 800 or 3. 900. but we also sell
good coats, lined with musllrat (Which
is the best fur for wear, at $50. That
is our cheapest coat. The average price
a man pays is from $3.50 to $500. but
there again the collar and cuffs form
an important part of the value"