T

O

68 FALL '87

he time has arrived.
No more daydreaming
about owning a fur. This
is the year you buy your

first fur.
Where do you begin?
Trusting a furrier is paramount
to being a truly satisfied
customer. A fur is an expensive
item for most people, so don't
be afraid to ask questions.
Get references and recom-
mendations from your friends.
Do not hesitate to get back-
ground information as to the
number of years a furrier has
been in business, and facts
concerning repairs, alterations
and storage. Services vary
among furriers.
Price, quality, service and
selection are the four most im-
portant attributes to look for
when choosing a furrier, ac-
cording to Leslie Goldin in her
book with Kalia Lulow, How to
Buy and Maintain a Fur (Har-
mony Books). Today, there are
mass market retail furriers, ele-
gant retail stores, designer bou-
tiques, wholesale furriers and
discount furriers. "Your job as
an informed customer" says
Goldin, "is to find the source
that offers the best mix of these
qualities for you."
Sandy Blye, executive vice
president of the American Fur
Industry, a trade group head-
quartered in New York, sug-
gests the consumer "shop and
compare the same item from
furrier to furrier." A reputable,
knowledgeable furrier will be
able to supply lengthy informa-
tion on any fur in his salon.
Furs vary and each coat is
slightly different. The consumer
must become informed and be
better equipped to make a
proper choice. "But," says Marc
Rubman, executive editor of Fur
Age Weekly, "a true furrier will
point out quality workmanship
examining the fur, the lining
and the leather side of the fur
with the customer"
How can you appreciate the
difference between a fine skin