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I chose a 1960's Persian lamb jacket for my historical garment study. The coat was a product of Evans furrier of Chicago. Evans, Inc. is a 70 year old Chicago based furrier that had several outlets throughout the country. However the company has been in decline for several years and is downsizing its operations. There doesn't seem to be a high demand for fur like there has been in the past. Luckily Evans produced one of the most beautiful vintage coats I have ever seen. The coat is absolutely stunning and you would be able to purchase this type of coat today between $25.00 to $99 .00 depending on its condition. It is a midnight black with a beautiful light sable mink collar. It has a subtle swing to it and is belted in the back for detail. The lining is a matted silk flower pattern that blends beautifully with the Persian lamb. It is double breasted and has elastic button closures. The sleeves are oversized and full in length. It appears to be around a size 10. It measures 27 inches in length and 17 inches across the shoulders. It has no pleats or darts and the seams are barely visible. My source Frances Cidella is a very tiny lady. I am sure the coat swallows her but I am sure in her younger days she looked very beautiful in it. The reason I chose this garment is because I have always been interested in vintage coats especially furs like sable, mink, chinchilla and of course Persian lamb. I admire the detail and the various patterns used in the 1950's and 1960's. During this time there was no talk about avoiding fur coats, but of course future environmentalists would make fur garments politically incorrect and controversial.
The coat is in great condition and still bears the Evans name on the inside lining. I believe the reason it is in such good condition is because the owner treasured this coat. It was a gift from her late husband. She only wore it on special occasions such as, weddings and special dinner parties. The first time she wore the coat was in 1965 on her 25th wedding anniversary when her and her husband went to Toronto for a vacation. She remembered her husband had been on a trip to Chicago a few months earlier and had bought the coat as an anniversary gift. Til this day she can't figure out how he managed to keep it a secret until their anniversary trip. She is not sure if her husband purchased the coat directly from an Evans shop or if he bought it at one of the various boutiques that carried Evans furs. To her it really didn't matter where he got it, she knew it was special and he even had her initials put inside the coat. She told me that whenever she wore it you could tell how proud he was for such a find and always told her she looked good in fur. I loved the fact that she remembered so many details just by looking at her coat.
Information Source: Frances Cidella | 
