This is prettier in person, photos can't really convey the softness. Dense plush fur, almost like chinchilla dense, but sheared down to the downy silver-beige underfur in a striped pattern, some areas kind of shimmer. (The fur changes color as you touch it, like a silk rug where the pile lays in different directions, which may explain the unfortunate blotchy look in some of these photos. It's not blotchy in person.) It has no flaws but I'm told it might be even silkier after a fur-cleaning to remove microscopic dust (which was traditionally done with mahogany sawdust and a special beater machine -- who knew?)

I love the lining, totally clean and nice, though also almost impossible to photograph because it's faintly iridescent. It changes with the light from a dark chocolate brown to an aubergine or dark plum color, like shot silk. (It may actually be shot silk, and looks like it, but I'm not totally sure of fabric content.) And it looks like polka dots from a distance, but up close each light blue dot is actually a round flower. The embroidered initials are in an interesting medium blue color.

The Fur Label Authority tag is in one pocket (see photo 12, this related to fair labor practices for fur workers), but there's no furrier label in this coat. However, I'm told it was almost certainly made by Gittelman's of Philadelphia (used to be on Chestnut Street, gone by the 1970s), who made sheared beaver coats in the 50s and 60s with some idiosyncratic details found on this coat. It's high quality work and the weight of the fur is well distributed. (This is a heavy coat, made for Northern winters, and the bulk of it hangs in the back, as it should in this slightly triangular swing shape.) The pelts are fully let out, which represents many hours of labor, but also enhances the phantom stripy effect. (I had thought phantom beaver was dyed or bleached or something, but no. Apparenltly the letting out to elongate the pelts was combined with strategic shearing so that the lighter beige vertical stripes are actually the natural color of the underfur. It's stronger or longer-wearing than treated fur, too.)

This is obviously too big on our size Small mannequin (it hangs in weird folds on her), and seems like a modern Medium, maybe up to Large as it's forgiving with the clutch front. And is it warm! I tried this on today to gauge size (a Small really can't wear it, shoulders too wide), and decided to test, so, is beaver really the warmest fur, like they say? The answer is yes. I was genuinely surprised that something so silky and soft could be so much warmer than both a longer mink coat and my modern insulated jacket, but it's noticeable, even with no front closure. (It was 26 degrees today with high wind, good test conditions.) My normal jacket was actually pitiful compared to this, maybe because it weighs about 5 lbs. and is so dense? Somehow the wind just can't get through beaver fur. Whoever this fits...will never be cold again!

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Measurements are taken from the outside with the garment laying flat. Please also note, it's best to compare these measurements against a coat or jacket of similar weight that fits you well as we can't take returns for issues of sizing. Most 20th century fur coats were custom made for some particular lady, making actual measurements taken from each unique garment far more accurate than any generic modern sizing equivalent, which are always just estimates. It's always best to go by the garment-specific measurements in the table. If in doubt, we're always happy to answer questions!

If this one isn't your size, we have many more vintage furs coming! They must all be re-homed now as they've been left unclaimed in the vault of a local furrier. The entire building is being sold soon so it must be cleared. All are vintage, many in unique period styles, and for the time being we also have a retired furrier on hand to help with pelt identification, techniques used, or to answer questions. (Vintage furs were luxury items, laboriously hand made by highly skilled craftspeople. Whenever a fur has retained its coded entry indicating fur country of origin, any treatments, or grade of pelt quality we'll include that information in the listing.)

As with all vintage clothing, some evidence of the past life of each coat should be expected, as no fur on offer here is new. (We neither sell new fur, nor wear it ourselves, as an ethical issue. The furs on offer are survivals from a different historical epoch, and a culture quite different to now.) Any flaws or wear seen is always noted, but nothing should be expected to seem factory-new like a modern garment, which we feel is part of the appeal of true vintage, its unique character and individual identity. We hope you'll consider recycling and reviving a vintage fur, many of which were meant to last a lifetime and have, rather than support the continued harm to animals of our modern era required by the industry (especially prevalent now in China) supplying new fur garments. For any purpose, a superior vintage example can be found, the wearing and using of which as vintage removes the motive to produce new pelts, while also respecting the creativity and highly skilled labor of the craftspeople of a bygone era.