Lynx fur coats are the most exotic fur type that the fashion industry has to offer. Dramatic, wild and seductive is a look you will most certainly achieve by wearing one. If you need a garment that can give you an edge and help you boost the exciting part of yourself, then a lynx fur coat is for you.
Special Traits of Lynx Fur Coats
Lynx fur is perhaps the only fur type where the abdominal area (the white belly part of the pelt) is more highly valued than the dorsal area. Lynx coats are lightweight and have a silky texture. The guard hair is long, and the underfur is dense. The fur density in the dorsal area of a Russian lynx is 9000 hair per square cm and in the abdominal area 4600 hair per square cm. The skin is of medium thickness (comparable to mink) and it is very elastic, thus lynx fur coats are unlikely to tear if stretched. Lynx fur coats are warm and breathable, drape nicely and require standard fur care.
How much is a Lynx Fur Coat Worth?
As written above, the most valuable part of the lynx fur is the white spotted belly. The more a garment contains the highest its value. The most expensive lynx coats are the ones made entirely of white spotted belly that has a bluish hue. A yellowish hue reduces the value of the garment.
Other factors that raise the value is craftmanship, the brand name and the point of sale.
A good lynx fur coat must have uniformity in the furry surface with no bald spots. Good draping and soft texture are signs of quality work and freshness of pelts. Uniformity in color and in the spotted pattern are traits that are desirable and valued.
Pure white lynx fur coats are available in the market but rare and exclusive. The most common trend is a combination of abdominal white spotted fur and dorsal fur.
Lynx fur coats can also be made utilizing other sections of the pelt such as the paws, the tails or the cut parts from the whole skin processing. Sectional fur making is a unique art known almost exclusively to fur makers in Greece and more specifically in Siatista and Kastoria. The sections are sorted by skin part, by color and fur density and then they are stitched together in rectangular shaped bodies which are used for garment creation. Sectional fur making is an excellent example of the nothing-goes-wasted approach of the fur industry. The final products, thanks to the skills of the fur makers look amazing, are just as warm and resilient as the ones made of whole skins and cost a fraction of the price.
Sewing Techniques
The most common techniques are skin to skin , where the skins are sewn vertically , and horizontally where the skins are cut in half and are sewn in rectangular shape.
Types of Lynx Fur Coats
Russian lynx fur coats are the second thickest ones and have silver gray or grayish brown colors.
Canadian lynx fur coat has the thickest fur and have yellowish brown or occasionally grayish colors.
Lynx bobcat coats are the least dense of the three and their color range varies from tan to grayish brown. The black streaks are more well defined and prominent.
Russian and Canadian lynx fur coats have more volume and look better on slimmer silhouettes. The pelts are also preferred for the making of hats and collars where the extra volume is needed. The lynx cat fur coats have less volume and look better on bigger silhouettes. They are also a good choice to line the interior of a hood.
Lynx is more than often combined with other short haired fur types such as mink, Persian lamb and sheared beaver. Used as collar, trim or hood interior, it spruces up flat designs and gives an extra dimension to coats that would otherwise look damp. It makes an excellent match with black, white or earthly colors. White fox cuffs and collar also make a great combination.
The tan, brownish and yellow tones match very well with accessories such as jewelry made of gold, brown colored sunglasses and leather bags and shoes.
Traditionally it is one of the fur types that have been exclusively popular with women. Lynx fur coats for men are not common but fashion and preferences are a very broad, open and objective topic.
It is very unusual to dye a lynx fur coat since the natural and exotic pattern is too good to spoil.
History
Lynx fur has always been in high demand. According to one estimate, the most valuable furs of the Middle Ages were sable, black fox and ermine, followed by marten, beaver and lynx coming in the sixth place at the time. Squirrel, common fox, deer skin, rabbit and sheep skin were worn by the lower classes. As a reference, sable and black fox pelts were rated in Persia between 400 and 2000 piastres whereas lynx fur pelts would cost between 300 and 1000 piastres. A raccoon fur pelt was valued between 60 and 150 piastres.
Lynx fur was known to Venetian merchants who roamed the world at their peak. There are several portraits depicting the Doge and prominent members of the venetian aristocracy wearing lynx fur.
Ethics and Sustainability
Lynx fur pelts come exclusively from trapping. Threatened species like the Iberian lynx are banned from commercial use. Trapping methods and number of skins per hunter are heavily regulated and monitored. All pelts that are auctioned are tagged with barcoded information which certifies their origin. Regulated hunting and trapping helps maintaining balance in ecosystems. Thanks to the lynx fur coat excellent durabilit , its lifespan can reach up to 25 years. Even if the design of a lynx coat goes out of fashion the elasticity and properties of lynx skins allow for revisions and remodeling to contemporary styles. This comes as an answer to eco fashion advocates that criticize the fur industry while at the same time they adopt fast fashion and synthetic materials. The impact of which is overconsumption of clothing that is used for one season and then rendered useless. In addition, fur is a natural material that can be decomposed and return to the ecosystem, whereas synthetic materials will remain for hundreds of years polluting the environment.
