Our Services.
Custom Fitting
Your garment will be a perfect fit! When you purchase a garment from Always in Vogue, our in-store furrier will take precise measurements to ensure a perfect fit. Our custom fitting and measurement service is free of charge and is part of the Always in Vogue experience. Follow the tips below and refer to our size guides when selecting your garment size.
Chest: With arms relaxed at your sides, measure chest just under the arms, around the fullest part of the bust, keeping the measuring tape parallel to the floor.
Sleeve Length: With your arms relaxed, measure from the beginning of your collarbone, over the shoulder, and down the outside of your arm to your thumb knuckle (Ask a friend to help you here.).
Natural Waistline: Bend to one side — the natural crease that appears is your waist. Standing straight, measure around this line, keeping the tape measure comfortably loose.
Hips: With feet together, measure around the fullest part of your hips. Your hips are about 8″ below your natural waistline. (Petite 7½” below; Plus 9″ below.)
Please note that we cannot offer exchanges or refunds on incorrectly sized garments unless they have been measured in-house by our tailor.
How to take your Measurements
Fur Remodeling
Remodeling is one of our many specialties Always in Vogue offers. Give new life to your old fur coat or jacket by restyling it into something new and updated. Come in and see one of our fur specialists to assess your valuable garment to make sure the skins aren’t dried out. If the skins are in good condition we will look at your coat on you and give you suggestions and advise. We have been trained by the best and are able to turn your old tired garment into something new and fabulous.
If changing the style does not suit you, we also can turn your garment into accessories, for example; headbands, pillows, slippers, mittens, teddy bears, purses, you name it we can do it. Sometimes alterations can be as simple as getting your coat shortened or getting your shoulders softened to remove large shoulders. If you require an entire restyle we will fit you into one of our many styles that are popular today.
Our fur specialists will take apart your fur garment and restyle it into the style of your choice. A simple remodeling job can be complicated, in many cases, new patterns must be constructed and fitted and the usable fur must be completely reworked to fit the new pattern. In some cases, new fur must be added, which then must be carefully sourced to match the original pelts.
Fur Repair
Repairing your valuable fur garment is nothing like mending cloth or any other material. To properly repair your fur you must have a professional furrier open and repair the coat. Specialized equipment including special thread and needles for fur work must be used. When rips occur in fur, the damaged fur must be cleaned out and the fur properly matched and replaced in the coat. We will then use a specialized fur sewing machine to sew the rip. Always in Vogue has experienced furriers on-site to fix any problems you may have with your coat.
Over time your coat may ‘’wear” from everyday use. We can fix worn front edges, pocket edges, collar edges, and any other wear on your fur. We also offer relining. Drop by anytime and have your garment assessed by one of our furriers.
Has your fur been damaged due to storage? Once repaired you can protect your fur from future storage damage by taking advantage of our fur storage service. Give us a call or drop in and see us to learn more about our repair and storage services.
Fur Cleaning
The number one concern with fur is that the natural oils in the pelts will dry out. When this happens the pelts become so dry, that they rip apart like paper. When you rub your fingers through the fur you should be able to feel a slight oiliness, this is normal. Dust, pollutants and airborne particles are attracted to this and get caught in the hairs of the fur. They then act as a sponge drawing the natural oils out of the pelts. These particles also have a huge effect on the hairs of your coat that can wear on the natural shine of the fur over time, making your coat look old and worn.
Always in Vogue recommend a professional cleaning after every two winter seasons. Our process is a dry fur clean, meaning we use a chemical called Mineral Spirits, mixed with sawdust. We then place the coat into a drum for one hour, where the sawdust beats against the fur taking out any dust or particles it may have gathered over the seasons. We then place it into a second drum for an hour. This drum takes out the sawdust that went into the fur.
Once this process is complete the fur will go through a glazing machine. The purpose of the glazing machine is to comb and polish the furs and manually apply a glazing solution to restore the lust. The pockets are then blown out to make sure there is no remaining sawdust left over.
The final stage is steaming the lining and steaming the fur. We use a hand steaming machine to make sure the lining looks good as new. The final step of steaming the fur is to make sure all the hair is lifted and the dullness is taken away.
Always in Vogue strives in customer service and taking care of your valuable fur garment is one of the many services we offer.
Fur Storage
One of the biggest misconceptions, when you purchase your valuable fur garment, is how it should be stored in the offseason. Always in Vogue have a humidity-controlled fur storage facility on site. This is one of the most important steps you can take to preserve your furs. There are no rules or set dates in regard to when furs should be stored. When it starts to get warm outside and you are done wearing your fur coat for the season it should be put in storage. When the weather gets colder and you are ready to start wearing your fur again you can take it out of storage.
People tend to think that keeping your fur home or in a cedar closet during the summer months and not spending the money on cold storage is okay. Too much heat or too much cold can ruin your valuable fur. The humidity level is important when a fur will be hanging in one place for a long period of time. If the humidity is too low or too high the natural oils in the pelts will dry out. Here are some of the main characteristics that our onsite storage facility has which are important to preserving the garment:
40-45 Degrees Fahrenheit at all times.
Humidity controlled between 45% and 55%.
Vermin and insect proof
Theft protection
Minimal U.V. light exposure
Ample space for each garment
Our easily accessible facility is on site.
Once the garment is onsite a professional furrier will examine your garment for repairs, cleanings or damages.