With that coat, she should ask him in
Esquire, February 1936: “The point is, it isn’t every guy can get a coat with a fur collar, from which we argue that it isn’t every gal can get a guy with a fur collared coat so we want to shout worldly advice to the lady. We don’t think she should be quite so indegoshdarnpendent.
“Of course, it isn’t every girl can have a coat and hat of Persian lamb, either, so maybe she knows best. Persian lamb, they tell us, is the ultimate fluff in women’s wear this year, and here’s a man wearing a double-breasted town ulster with Persian lamb collar and lapels. Only he didn’t get the idea from any woman. Old King George’s boys started it for men. Their coats, as it happens, are also lined with eastern mink. Yours can be too, we suppose, if you insist and if your insistence is prepaid. Anyway, this coat is a medium weight town ulster with military lines, worn with a rough finished derby and dark grey suit.”
Fur and wool collars are popular again with the luxury brands this year, but they always seem to be favoured by the brash and the undiscerning. Although rarely real fur, and so not that expensive, it is a showy style on a par with large alligator accessories.
In the 1930s this appears to have not been the case – it suggested money, but not the wrong sort. And Persian lamb is certainly very practical on snowy days like the one pictured. The warmest of hats, the Astrakhan, is made of it after all.
Esquire, February 1936: “The point is, it isn’t every guy can get a coat with a fur collar, from which we argue that it isn’t every gal can get a guy with a fur collared coat so we want to shout worldly advice to the lady. We don’t think she should be quite so indegoshdarnpendent.
“Of course, it isn’t every girl can have a coat and hat of Persian lamb, either, so maybe she knows best. Persian lamb, they tell us, is the ultimate fluff in women’s wear this year, and here’s a man wearing a double-breasted town ulster with Persian lamb collar and lapels. Only he didn’t get the idea from any woman. Old King George’s boys started it for men. Their coats, as it happens, are also lined with eastern mink. Yours can be too, we suppose, if you insist and if your insistence is prepaid. Anyway, this coat is a medium weight town ulster with military lines, worn with a rough finished derby and dark grey suit.”
Fur and wool collars are popular again with the luxury brands this year, but they always seem to be favoured by the brash and the undiscerning. Although rarely real fur, and so not that expensive, it is a showy style on a par with large alligator accessories.
In the 1930s this appears to have not been the case – it suggested money, but not the wrong sort. And Persian lamb is certainly very practical on snowy days like the one pictured. The warmest of hats, the Astrakhan, is made of it after all.
Any suggestion where to buy a real Astrakhan in London? Lock has fake fur version. thanks.
It’s not advertised but you can ask at Bates on Jermyn street and they might pull one out of the draw for you.
I have asked at Bates before and they didn’t have any. But not this season
Interesting.. I bought one last year for my brother as a Christmas gift.. It was a bit hush hush when I asked and the price was massively dropped because I think they are slowly trying to clear stock. Though I can’t believe they would have sold them all in a year..
True. Perhaps they got rid of them for that reason
My grandfather was a furrier during this period and I can tell you that he considered Persian lamb (and it’s cousin Broadtail, which is somewhat less curly and therefore a good deal ‘slicker’)to be his favorite fur. First, it had the advantage of great texture and if you matched the skins well (which was his great skill) you could produce what he referred to as ‘flowers’ in the garment. Second, because it was relatively low in terms of the pile, Persian lamb can be tailored, so he could produce coats whose design would be more flattering to people with, ahem, weight issues (not so furs such as sheared beaver or mink, which in his opinion made everyone look stout). Persian lamb was also viewed by consumers of the period (and this lasted right up through the 50s, I might add) as being the fur worn by people of ‘quiet good taste’. It was not considered ‘flashy’ or the sort of thing that someone with ‘new money’ would buy. That’s why this gentleman has Persian lamb on his collar.
Why, I was just telling my friend yesterday how I wished I had a coat from the 30’s with lamb’s wool trim. We must be sharing a wavelength!
I wouldn’t wear one. There are a lot of lies surrounding them trying to fool people into thinking they are only sheared fur or a byproduct of the meat industry. They are a cash commodity bred deliberately for slaughter as fur. According to the RSPCA the final fetus is killed long with the mother in the womb. Since the wool uncurls soon after birth, every astrkhan hat is a slaughtered newborn.
Sorry to get political but there are some limits I have concerning the balance between wanting to be well-dressed and helping to promote such a squalid trade.
Sorry to answer on such an old post, but this comment begs me some questions.
I entirely get why some people would prefer to avoid killing animals for reasons. I usually have an harder time understanding why one would be happy to wear the skin of a dead calf, as long as the hair are shaved, but not a lamb. It’s not like it is an exotic animal either.
But this comment in particular give me the impression that what Roger is worried about is that the lamb is a new born. (Indeed less than three days, like someone else answered)
Why would killing a lamb, so a sheep baby around 3 months old) be okay to kill, but not a 3 days old ?
Why would raising lamb for meat and using fur as a byproduct ok but not raising it for fur and using meat as a byproduct ?
And in the very specific case of broadtail, thus a foetal lamb killed with the mother, it’s not like they just randomly pick a sheep and decide to kill it with its lamb in the womb. Broadtail is produced from the last birthing of the sheep (because it has reached this age)
So why would waiting for the sheep to birth, kill the baby two days later, and the mother too because it as reach the end of its life okay, but not two days before birthing ? (or anywhere between 2 weeks and one day before to be precise)
Like, I’m asking this genuinely, why would lamb fur be less ethical than lamb meat or calf leather ?
You either consider all those unethical, or all those fine, no ?
On a side note, I do own a coat (charcoal with very muted herringbone) with a shawl astrakhan collar. Removable. I used a vintage collar to appease my wife, and because it’s less expensive and readyily available.
On the aforementioned .. not that i condone this .
Astrakhan is from newborn lambs under 3 days but not foetal ..broadtial is foetel but seldom seen thankfully . The rspca along with other charities sell fur thru the back door to dealers ..very ethical eh !
Hmmm! Persian Lamb could work as a lining and collar in an overcoat I’m planning. I looked into American Mink but it seems that it’s incredibly difficult to look after (requires refrigeration).