You want advice. You desire comfort. You want to be 100% sure of your choice.
You’re after advice and comfort. You want to make the right decision for you. A model which suits you and will stay pristine for a long time. Within the trade we take note of five key features. We’ll talk you through each one below. Read this and learn to evaluate shearling as well as an expert.
You want a lightweight shearling. But one that's really warm at the same time.
Because tanning techniques have evolved over the years, the era of the heavy sheepskin garment has long passed. At Pelsland we work with lamb rather than sheep which is a lightweight material to begin with. You may find some older heavy models in other boutiques, but we no longer carry such products.
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You want a supple shearling that still maintains it's shape well.
Lamb skins are much more supple than sheep. The origin of the pelts and the breed of lamb also has a substancial effect.
We consciously choose the supplest skins because this enhances the feel as well as the look of the garment. We prefer Spanish Merino and Entrefino breeds because materials procured from New Zealand, Australia and the U.K. are usually much coarser.
The softness doesn't only influence the weigth of your jacket, bu also has consequences for the way it looks on you.
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You want to look good in your shearling.
You want to look good in a supple fit which is flattering. There are a few determining aspects that are of importance when choosing that dreamcoat.
We start our journey with a good design pattern. This is something we’re adament about at Pelsland. If the fit isn’t right we don’t even take other aspects into account, as there is little the colour or style of it can do to rectify this. Secondly, expert tailoring is required to make sure every stich and panel is perfectly finished. Lamb skins can be processed in two ways, one of which stems from the fur trade. This manufacturing system ensures a lighter, more supple end product which allows for a more slender look.
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The suède side must look nice.
Make sure the suede is evenly structured and brings alive the colour of the coat. All lamb- and sheepskin coats have been dyed, even those which look natural. This colouring should be smooth and even and show no evidence of scarring, bites or veins. It being a natural product it will never be perfectly even, though there is a world of difference between a first, second and third class skin.
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The suede part of some sheepskin coats have been treated to give them an oily, more leathery look. This is a purely aesthetic aspect and doesn’t affect the amount of maintenance it needs.
The last aspect we look at is the wool.
The wool inner layer should be consistent in thickness and structure. Spanish Merino’s are known for their beautifully lush wool. In some designs, the wool is bleached in a process called oxidisation. Another techinque may be used to highlight the tips of the wool or give them an extra shade of colour.
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Concrete maintenance tips.
Hoe beschermt u een vest of mantel in omgekeerd lam?
Shearling isn't rainwear. The traces left by rain are due to pollution and dirt. The rain that lands on your garment isn't clean water. The water will evaporate, but it can leave dirty traces on the suede.
The very best way to avoid this is not to wear the garment in the rain. As it is not always possible to avoid the rain, we advice the following protection.
Impregnate your garment regulalry with a water- and dirt repellant spray. We recommend and sell the brand Waterstop. Because we have tested all major brands and have found that Waterstop offers the best protection.
- Applying it takes 1 to 2 minutes and is very simple.
- Shake the container well (otherwise the active ingredients remain at the bottom of it).
- Spray your garment for a distance of 15 to 20 centimeters. Keep moving the spray while you do this.
- Allow at least half an hour for the product to reach it's maximal effect.
The top image above shows a recently treated skin; the picture below it the effect of humidity on an unprotected skin.
During the winter months repeat this about every 3 weeks (for typical urban use - the more you expose the garment to wind, the faster you'll need to impregnate it again).
There are some tanneries that treat the skins with a water repellant beforehand. As this is done using high pressure it will offer more than 3 weeks protection. But it would be surprising that the effect lasts more than 6 months. Wit such a coat you'll have to apply the protection yourself after the first winter.
Of course, some stains may still appear after heavy rain. These will only be on the surface, thanks to the protection. You will be able to remove them easily.
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A question often asked is "how can you clean shearling?"
Many people have the experience of giving a shearling garment to a dry cleaner and getting it back harder, dryer and ugly. This is due to the fact that most cleaners use degreasing solvents that also take out necessary fats from the skins.
That's why we offer you the possibility of handing us your shearling to have it cleaned. The pictures hereunder are an example of a typical cleaning by us (these pictures have not been altered by computer and reflect the real typical result - the 2 pictures on top are 'before' and the 2 pictures below 'after').
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