• Always hang shearling on a well-shaped and padded hanger.
• Never put shearling in a plastic bag for an extended period of time. Cloth garment bags are the recommended choice.
• Shearling needs ‘breathing room’ when hanging in the closet; never stuff them in.
• Never store shearling in direct sunlight, as it can fade the garment over time.
• Summer Storage: The Twisted Pine recommends that shearling be stored in a furrier’s climate and humidity controlled vault.

Care When Wet

• Shearling garments can be worn in light snow or in light drizzle. If you get caught in a heavy rain, dry your shearling gently with a towel and then allow it to dry naturally at room temperature, away from any heat source. Once your shearling is dry, use a suede brush on the suede side and a gentle steel comb on the hair side.

Professional Cleaning

• Always take your shearling to a leather or suede specialist.

Pressing & Ironing

• Most wrinkles will fall out when left in a steamy bathroom.

When pressing, use a dry iron set at a low temperature, with craft paper, used as a pressing cloth. Press lightly and quickly to prevent overheating and shine. If you have any doubt, bring your garment to your trusted fur and shearling specialist.

2. Give it a good home. Be sure you put it in a coat closet that is not exposed to light (which will fade your fur) or heat. Check for hot water or steam pipes in the wall. Then be sure it has room to breathe and isn’t being crushed by other garments.

3. Hang your fur on a broad-shouldered or padded hanger with a long neck. No wire hangers. Ideally, ask your furrier for a professional hanger.

4. Don’t cover it in a garment bag. Your fur prefers air circulation, to prevent its leather side from drying. If you absolutely must keep it in a bag for a short period of time, be sure it is in a loosely woven cloth bag.

5. Accessorize wisely. Don’t pin jewelry on your fur, and avoid sharp necklaces or bracelets that could snag your fur. Don’t use your shoulder bag on a consistent basis, since it will wear the hairs off and give your coat a bald spot. Consider wearing a scarf around your neck to protect the collar, which can be quickly matted.

6. Avoid insecticides, mothproofing and other chemicals around on your fur, including perfume or hairspray directly on your fur. Perfume contains alcohol, which can dry your pelts. Once a perfume gets into your fur — including cedar from a cedar chest — it could be there to stay. Oils in the leather of your fur can become rancid and smell.

7. If your fur gets wet, don’t panic. Most furs handle snow and a light rain with ease. Shake it out and hang it to dry in a well-ventilated room, at home or office. Resist the temptation to speed the drying process by using a hair dryer or hanging it near a heat source. Fur does not like heat. After it dries, shake it again. Do not comb or brush it. If its hairs are a little bristly, simply smooth them with your hand. If your fur has been soaked through, however, take it immediately to your fur retailer for proper treatment.

8. Your fur coat and your car, best friends? Probably not. Furs don’t do well with friction or crushing, both of which they experience in your car. Use common sense when sliding into the seat, so you’re not too hard on your fur. To avoid a telltale flattened bottom print on your fur, don’t sit on it if possible, or at least not on the same spot consistently. Shake out any spots like that on your fur when you exit your vehicle. On long drives, take off your fur and wear it over you like a blanket, if you need to keep warm.

9. Keep your fur in mind when you’re on the move. Double-check your insurance policy to make sure you’re covered in case of loss at a restaurant or while traveling. At a restaurant, if the cloak room looks suspicious or overcrowded, don’t check your coat. Don’t hang it on a hook or coat tree. Fold it neatly on a chair at your table and cover with a napkin.

On a plane, the closet for hanging luggage is not the best place for your fur. When you get to your destination, you might find your fur too crushed to wear. Instead, leave it lightly on your lap for a super-lux, cozy blanket or fold it loosely, lining out, and place it at the top of an overhead bin very near you. But find a bin that is already nearly full, and put your coat on top of other luggage. Don’t tempt anyone to place luggage on top of your coat.

10. Always send your coat on summer vacation. Nothing shortens the longevity of your fur like keeping it in your closet during a long, hot summer. Send it to your furrier for professional storage. This is important every year, for a fur, a shearling, a fur-trimmed garment and even a fur hat or scarf. Unless you don’t intend to wear your fur for very long, take it in for cold storage. It’s not very expensive, and this is the single best thing you can do to care for your fur. It definitely is necessary.

11. Have your fur cleaned regularly by a fur specialist, not a dry cleaner. Furs must be cleaned by a special process. Your fur should be cleaned every year, unless it hasn’t been worn hardly at all. In that case, have it cleaned at least every other year. Besides just cleaning, this conditions your fur, makes it look better and is good for your fur. When you take your fur in for cleaning, this is also the time when your furrier gives it a check-up for any necessary repairs. Always have repairs done immediately, before little problems turn into big headaches.

• Start with color and style. Do you want something classy? Warm? Versatile? Leather boots and vests come in so many varieties and the Twisted Pine at Breckenridge has lots to choose from.
• Next, consider your budget. What do you want to spend on your new leather boots or vest?  If you’re used to shopping at Wal-Mart, be ready from some sticker shock. Remember, these are high quality, fine clothing products not available at major retailing chains.
• When shopping for women’s and men’s leather jackets and coats online, don’t let price be the only consideration. Remember, you’re buying the retailer as well as the product. Will this company back up the product and make it easy for you to exchange or return the item if necessary?
• Online store offering wide range of leather boots and vests should offer information on taking care of your products. Breckenridge Fur and Leather offers details on caring for your fine leather and fur products.
• Breckenridge Fur and Leather from the Twisted Pine takes its superior in-store customer service online. We are accessible via email, and phone. We want it to be easy for you to call anytime with questions.

These are quite common but important steps to keep in mind while shopping for women’s and men’s leather jackets and coats online. Not all online retailers are created equal. Go with one that offer great products, competitive prices, easy returns, and stellar customer service – go with the Twisted Pine in Breckenridge. We offer the finies in women’s and men’s leather jackets and coats.

• Never put the coat into a washing machine or a dryer! Most shearling products need to be either dry cleaned or “air-dryed”. A trip through the washing machine and a dryer is a sure way to kill a high-quality shearling product!
• Frequent small cleanings are good. What this means is that you do not want to let dirt get heavily soiled into the jacket – as it can be very difficult to remove, if at all. Instead, clean the jacket soon after it gets dirty.
• Keep the jacket away from open flames or high heat sources! This not only will damage the shearling but can also damage the leather too.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to strong sunlight – such as hanging the coat or jacket in a sunny windows for weeks at a time – as this can bleach out the jacket.
• Do NOT use a plastic garment bag for long-term storage, as it does not breathe and allows moisture to get trapped. Instead, use a cloth garment bag that allows for air movement.
• Hang the jacket or coat loosely – not stuffed tightly among other clothes. You want it to hang naturally, not in some contorted way.
• Always hang a shearling jacket on a stout hanger. Never drape it over a doorknob or  coat rack, unless the jacket specifically has a place that it can be hung from (most do).
• When wet, just let the jacket air-dry.
• Clean the jacket in the spring, and clean it well. Winter solvents and salt will accumulate on the jacket and, if not removed, slowly destroy the jacket. Clean in spring and then forget about it til next season.
• Just say “no” to silicone. Silicone and shearling/leather jacket products don’t mix.
• Don’t put adhesive stickers on the jackets, as the stickers – when removed – may pull out some of the fabric.

Summing it Up

A high quality shearling jacket is very easy to take care of. And is incredibly versatile – functioning as a gorgeous day-use jacket, backwoods jacket and just about everything in between.

It just needs to be remembered that shearling is a different type of insulation than other fabrics – and thus requires its own unique brand of care.  Remember to always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions on proper care for your specific shearling garment.

Source: Big Sky Fishing

• Always hang leather coats on wide padded hangers. Use shoe trees in shoes and boots. Stuff empty handbags with tissues to retain their shape.
• Do not store leather goods in plastic bags or other nonporous covers. If clothing must be stored in a garment bag, keep it open for ventilation.
• Allow wet or damp leather to air-dry naturally away from any source of heat. Apply a little leather conditioner when the leather is nearly dry to restore flexibility. Follow this with a full conditioning treatment after the leather has completely air-dried.
• In winter, promptly remove any salt deposits from coats, shoes and boots by sponging with clean water, then follow with the treatment recommended above for wet or damp leather. To prevent mildew, protect leather from excessive humidity.
• In a dry environment, regularly condition the leather in order to prevent it from drying out and cracking.
• Do not use waxes, or silicone formulas or other leather preparations that impair the ability of the leather to “breathe”.
• Never use caustic household chemicals to clean leather. Also, avoid leather preparations that contain alcohol.
• Avoid turpentine and mineral spirits as they can pull color.
• Caution. Use of mink oil or other animal fats will darken leather.

Remember to always refer to the Manufacturer’s instructions for proper care of your leather garment.

For leather care we recommend Arrow Fabricare:

Arrow Fabricare Services
3838 Troost Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64109

To contact Customer Service
1-800-54-ARROW

www.arrow-care.com

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