First Furs

[lynxette]

Okay, I know this is getting to the end of the month and all, but I thought I would post a sort of factoid of the month so to say and get it in under the wire. It is my goal to post at least one of these per month in the hopes of stimulating possible discussion questions for this forum. Anyway, here it is: the first time fur was used in the fashion industry to make what most of us today think of as a fur coat, ie with the fur on the outside as the main part of the garment, was in Paris France in the year 1900. Madame Paquin, who was the first woman to achieve fame as a fashion designer, displayed a collection of clothing trimmed with fur, as well as fur coats with the fur on the outside as a fashion statement in and of itself. The rest as they say, is history. So all of us who love wearing furs owe her a great round of applause I think for getting the ball rolling.

[lynxette]

I have had a question regarding the use of furs in ages past, ie royalty etc. The point I was making in the factoid is that 1900 Paris was the first instance where fur was used as the primary material in making a garment with the fur on the OUTSIDE as opposed to being used as trim or lining. In other words, fur became a fashion in and of itself as opposed simply a necessary enhancement to other materials.

This point also excludes Eskimos/Inuit who of course had been making fur parkas for perhaps thousands of years, and also the coats that some men wore in the 1800's as western utility in North America.

Hopefully this clears things up just a bit...if not, please let me know.