Fur has been a staple in royal fashion for hundreds of years. The fur used in traditional royal clothing was ermine. Ermine is a very distinctive fur as it is usually white with black spots. The black spots in the fur are made by sewing in the tail ends to the main body of fur. Ermine is an expensive fur due to it being a small animal and the garments are usually large royal gowns. An ermine is also commonly known as a stoat and has a winter and a summer coat. the summer coat is brown and the winter coat is white. the winter coat is more commonly used in royal fashion.
Royal garments containing ermine are most commonly coronation gowns. The gown was made just for this occasion and contained an ermine fur robe. The robe was made and checked by tailors to make sure that the tails were evenly spaced.
The use of ermine in fashion and royalty has changed throughout the years with Queen Elizabeth II has recently stated that she will no longer be buying any new fur to wear but will carry on wearing fur that she already owns. With fur being a staple in the royal wardrobe this is a big statement and shows the changing times and modern opinions.
Fashion designers have also used royal fur inspiration in their collections. John Galliano created a garment for Dior in 2004 which was made to look like a royal gown. The dress is grand and luxurious with a modern twist along with the use of fur. Although the fur is made to look like ermine it is in fact made from rabbit. Taking something that is usually royal and making it more common by making the ‘look’ widely available is modern.
I will post a bibliography at the end of the blog
Abigail Phillips 