please help me repair/customise a vintage fur coat

[Lexilicious]

[please judge the rights and wrongs of fur elsewhere - these rabbits died 80 years ago. I like this coat and it is the only really lovely clothing item I own]

So. It is a slightly battered creamy coloured rabbit fur jacket. There is a lot of wear on the shoulders (handbag straps I guess) and elbows, where the stitching between the strips of fur has been pulled apart.

I think I can get a curved needle and re-stitch together the pelts on the elbows, and I'll look up how to spot-clean it. I just wonder if some embellishment on the bare patches would be a better idea? I am not particularly skilled at this - I wonder if I would actually ruin it.

Any better ideas?

I can't imagine embellishments working well on fur tbh - unless it is just a change of buttons. What sort of thing were you thinking? sequins? beads? I think you just have to accept the wear and tear as part of its charm. You could send it to a professional cleaners and have it cleaned and stitched back up - if you really love it then I would do that.

You are probably right. I got a crazy quote for repair+cleaning from a fur specialist though - about as much as I paid for the coat. And they'd keep it for three weeks to do it. I'm just not sure that 'normal' dry cleaners will take it.

If I re-stitch the unstitched bits maybe I can tighten up the sizing too.

Hi there

This caught my eye as I have two vintage fur coats I inherited from my Grandmother. Again, not wanting to enter into the complicated debate about fur but I would like to alter the coats so that they are used - is anyone able to recommend anyone who would do this well?

Thanks in advance

PS Am south london but can travel in south east and across City.