Pavlis Furs

Ok ladies it is time to bust out the furs!!! Winter is here in Chicago and I am all about staying warm and looking chic. My coyote vest from Pavlis Furs  is one of my favorite pieces to add to any look for extra warmth and major ooomph! What I Wore: Fur Vest: Pavlis Furs similar HERE and HERE Jeans: Gap similar HERE and HERE Plaid Shirt: Nordstrom love this one HERE Bag: Marc Jacobs similar HERE Booties: Belle by Sigerson Morrison similar HERE Beanie: Pavlis Furs imilar HERE and HERE Bracelet: Roxksbox similar HERE Watch: Michael Kors love this one HERE Sunnies: Celine love these HEREI have been trusting Pavlis Furs in Chicagoland, when caring and storing my furs, for quite some time now. So, I wanted to share some insider info from one of the owners, Rachael about the best way to keep your fur looking flawless!1. What is the best method for storing a fur?The best and proper way to store a fur coat is with a professional furrier during the warm spring and summer months that it is not being worn.  A professional furrier uses secure vaults that are temperature and humidity controlled to store the furs in.  This protects them not only from deteriorating but also from theft and insect damage.  During the cold months when using a fur make sure to keep it in a well ventilated and dark closet when not wearing it, away from any heat sources. Give it plenty of room to hang freely and hang it on a wide shouldered hanger.2. What is the most common mistake people make when caring for/storing a fur?One of the most common mistakes people make who own a fur is not cleaning and conditioning it every year.  A good fur coat is an investment and should be taken care if you want it to last.  Think of taking care of your fur in the same respect as you would take care of your own hair, you need to clean and condition the hairs of the fur just the same.  Your fur may never look dirty, but it accumulates dust and dirt particles and absorbs odors such as perfume and smoke.  Yearly cleaning and conditioning is essential to the longevity of a fur.  Many people come to us with furs that are dry, stiff, cracked and ripped because they have not  stored, cleaned or conditioned the fur in years.  Unfortunately once a fur gets to this point you can not reverse the damage.3. Has a certain style or color been super popular this year?One of our hottest selling items this year is sheared fur, primarily sheared mink.  Long gone are the Dynasty days of furs where bigger was better and women wore long haired, full length and fluffy fox, raccoon and beaver fur coats.  Nowadays women want to look sleek and slim in a fur, and that is why sheared fur is such a big seller.  It is lightweight yet still super warm and has a svelte look.

Our other biggest item is definitely the fur vest.  Fur vests are on every celebrity and in every magazine now.  The fur vest is a great every day piece with a lower level price point than most of our other fur garments, making it a perfect and fun entry level item for our younger clientele or for people who have never owned a fur before.  And with the fur vests anything goes.  We make them in coyote, fox, mink, raccoon, lynx, sable....the "fluffier" the better because there is not a lot of square inches in a vest, so using longer haired fur on these garments does not engulf the person or make them look too bulky.

4. If you could give a first time fur owner one piece of helpful advice (for care/storage, etc) what would it be?

The best piece of advice I could give a first time fur owner is definitely to properly care for and maintain your fur by storing it and cleaning it EVERY year with a reputable furrier.  Furs can be a huge investment and should be cared for like any other major investment if you want them to last, such as jewelry or cars.  It is not unheard of for a properly cared for fur to last 30 or 40 years, we have many clients who bring their furs to us each year whose furs are at least that old.  These clients want their fur to be an heirloom and able to passed down to their children or grandchildren.

5. Why do people store furs in cedar closets? What do you do when you live in the city with limited closet space and no access to a furrier, where to store?

People sometimes store their furs in cedar closets and think that constitutes as proper care for their fur.  The idea being that it protects their fur from moth and insect damage.  While cedar closets may protect furs from insects, they do not provide the proper temperature and humidity levels needed to store furs at.  Cedar closets are a fine fix for the cold winter months when your fur is at home, but they are not proper storage for the off season.

Obviously there is not a furrier in every neighborhood or every city.  The best piece of advice for fur owners without access to a furrier in drive-able reach is to research furriers that they can ship their fur to for care and maintenance during the warmer months.  We have clients that send their coats to us by UPS, Fed Ex and the US Post Office from all across the country.

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