Vintage Fashion History — The Exquisite Charm of Pepe Le Pew

A three-quarter length coat by Bruyere in black wool with skunk fur sleeves. The model wears a hat with a wide up-turned brim which frames her face- Mary Evans Click

Seems one day on the 12th line of Ramsay became no joke for snow plower Mel Royce. Royce who once plowed the streets of Almonte and the 12th line of Ramsay encountered quite the stinky situation.

That snowy Wednesday day he was making progress up the line until he came across a skunk in the middle of the road that wasn’t too keen on moving. Well, Mel wasn’t going to move either with his snowplow and wondered why the skunk wasn’t hibernating with the rest of the skunks.

Well, as the standoff continued two young lads Alex Symington and Cecil McIntyre, decided they would do their good deed as it was also Boy Scout Week. They discussed a plan among themselves and then began to pelt the skunk with snowballs. The skunk still didn’t move from either defiance or stupidity. Minutes later with both sides trying to decide what to do, the skunk just decided to move and sit on the side of the road for a spell. I am pleased to also offer the news that Mel Royce finished clearing that road for everyone that lived on the 12th Line of Ramsay.

ANYBODY LOOKING FOR A SKUNK COAT?

It seems that skunk furs — properly deodorised of course —were once very much in demand for ladies’ coats and fur places. Mind you nobody walks into tho furrier and asks for a skunk coat. It’s like a lot of other products: it’s thoroughly disguised under some less offensive sounding name. In the 1940s a full-length skunk coat with bishop sleeves, hanging straight from the shoulders, might worn over a black velveteen two-piece jacket dress, the jacket all edged in white braid, and the dress featuring a high cowl neck. A Krimmer coat illustrated the new rounder, softer shoulderline. With it might be worn a poudre blue wool dress bound in matching velveteen, and a raspberry wool shirtmaker frock featured tucks at the shoulders and brass buttons.

Skunk fur is rather long, with coarse, glossy guard hairs of about one to two inches, which have the qualities of strength and longevity. Normally the under-fur is grayish underneath the black guard hairs and white underneath the white guard hairs. If the more valuable all-black pelts were not used or available, the entire pelt was dyed a uniform, glossy black.

Skunk fur has been used in the fur industry as early as the mid 1800’s, gradually increasing in popularity into the 1900’s when it exceeded production of the most traded fur – Muskrat. As the United States recovered from the Great Depression a strong market for fur trimmed cloth coats created a demand for skunk, with pelts doubling in price into the early 1940’s. Previous to the 1950’s it was sold under different names including Alaskan sable, and American Sable.

Photo-Click here

After the identity of the fur was known, Skunk took a dive in popularity. This continued into the early 1970’s at which time the offbeat, unconventionality of it seemed to restore its appeal for a brief time after which it went out of use again. An upsurge in the popularity of Skunk fur has taken place with fashion houses such as Prada and Fendi using the black or brown-and-white varieties in items from handbags to throws and long, sweeping coats.

“The hop growers loved the skunk because they ate the hop grubs that damaged the hop vines. The hop growers of the state, centered in Madison County, petitioned the State Legislature to pass a law giving the skunk a closed season. Thus the skunk became the first New York State furbearer to have legal protection!” “Many times a farm boy could earn more in a season’s trapping than his father made in a year on the farm. Skunks saved some farms during the Depression by the income from their pelts.” Norman Evans, Stories From Old Georgetown

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

February 23,2023–Wowsa. Just in, a 1930’s hand made skunk fur coat. Yup. Skunk fur. Possibly made by a trapper. Or Cruella Deville

We’re big fans of vintage fur here, which is finding a second “life”. And this is a really beautiful and interesting piece. Skunk fur is quite coarse, long and so striking.

In great shape except for one elbow, which could easily be repaired with a black fur patch. You won’t see another one of these soon! $325. Big Vintage– 95 Mill Street, Almonte, ON, Canada, Ontario-heybigvintage@gmail.com