What fur is this? Our guide to fur types

If you are looking for warmth, durability or style, real mink, fox and Finnraccoon is your answer. Here, we explain how the most used fur types differ from each other.

When buying a coat for winter, you consider warmth, durability, style and sustainability. With natural fur, you can check all the boxes: it’s warm and when taken care properly, will last for generations. Adding biodegradability at the end of its long lifecycle, a fur coat is pure slow fashion – whether you choose mink, fox or Finnraccoon, the most commonly used furs in fashion.

Fox is versatile

When looking at a fox garment, Blue fox is probably most commonly used. It can be used as a coat, inside a parka as a lining or as trimming around a hood or collar – not forgetting fur pompoms and other accessories. It is warm, beautiful and easy to work with for a furrier.

Blue fox is an excellent choice for daily use and good investment for someone buying his or hers first fur coat. Blue Fox is also good for dyeing as the hair is even and the color will be consistent in the garment. To give you an idea what Blue Fox looks like and how it can be used, all those bright and pastel colored fur coats that you see on the streets of fashion capitals are probably Blue Fox.

Another option is Blue Shadow fox, which is completely white. When dyed, you can achieve even purer and brighter color because there is no gray hairs in the guard hair as compared to Blue Fox. But if you ask an expert at Saga Furs, with Blue Fox the end result looks a little bit more natural.

Silver fox is another classic fox type, naturally dark in color. The hair is longer and more eye catching which make for really stunning garments. When dyed you can clearly see the color and the darker hair in between.

The difference between fox and Finnraccoon is that Finnraccoon has thicker underwool and the hair overall is stiffer. Also, the natural color is usually more brown or yellowish with black or really dark guard hair. Finnraccoon is a really popular material for hood trimmings and often used in natural color. However, all types of long-haired fur – all fox types and Finnraccoon – can be used as trimming.

 

Mink is classic

Mink fur has a lot shorter hair compared to foxes and Finnraccooon. The classic vintage mink coat is usually brown. However, mink come in multiple colors from white to black to different browns and greys. What is common to all mink is that it’s really warm and durable. Mink coats have always been considered investment pieces and that’s why there are so many vintage mink coats on the market.

Just like with fox or Finnraccoon, also mink fur can be dyed in natural or bright colors. And there are a lot of techniques developed for mink fur as well.

Saga Furs’ label is a sign of quality

Whether you choose fox, Finnraccoon or mink, take a look for the Saga Furs’ label inside the coat. Not all brands use it, but when you see it, it is a guarantee of superior quality. Over the years Saga Furs has succeeded in building a brand recognized around the world for its superior quality furs, sustainable practices and transparency.

Finally, keep in mind that real fur is a better option for the environment compared to plastic-based materials. This is why we encourage people to choose natural materials – either new, old or remodeled.

Related articles:

Fur is a functional high-performing material

How to take care of fur to enhance its longevity

Five things to consider when shopping for your first fur coat by Pologeorgis in New York