Fur is probably the only fabric that, after made into a garment, can be taken apart and entirely restyled. Beyond alterations, it can be sheared to a short plush, changed into a different style or, most commonly, used as a collar and cuffs and lining to a raincoat or coat or cape of cashmere or other luxury fabric. Most retail furriers offer restyling services. Typically, a retailer will take your old coat and assess its condition. If it is not in good condition, he/she probably won't recommend you restyle it, because it could literally shred. Some furriers say they don't recommend restyling a coat if it's any older than 15 years. Once your retailer is confident of its condition, he/she will often offer you a catalog of restyling options. These include length, basic body type, a choice of fabrics (wool, microfiber, silk wool, gabardine, cashmere, camel hair, mohair and more) and fabric colors. You might have enough fur to line a fabric coat, or just enough for collar and cuffs. You might choose to shear your fur. The most commonly restyled fur is mink, since mink is the most popular fur purchased new, it is the most durable fur (lasting 50 years or more), and it is lightweight enough to use as a lining. The restyling possibilities for a mink coat in good condition are almost limitless. A fox jacket can be turned into a collar, cuff and even a handbag, or you can turn it into a trim around a dramatic cashmere cape. They can also make great trims around the collar and down the front of a fabric coat. Typically sable is not restyled, because sable styles are usually conservative to begin with. Most furriers will not restyle chinchilla, because it is a fragile fur. Sheared beaver coats, though popular new, are too heavy to use as linings of a fabric coat. Options for sheared beaver include knitting it (Aldo Studio provides knitting fur remodel services) or simply changing it into a different style, such as a pullover sweater or maybe a vest. Once you've chosen what you want to do with your used fur, most furriers will take your measurements to determine your size; these are made-to-fit garments. From there, your old fur will probably be shipped to New York City or, if you're in Canada, to Montreal, where a handful of manufacturers specialize in producing restyles. There, your used garment will be inspected again by the manufacturer to confirm its good condition, then virtually taken apart and reconstructed into the new garment you requested, pairing it with the necessary fabric. If your used fur is a small garment, such as a stole or capelet, and you'd really love a fur-trimmed cashmere coat with fur lining, the manufacturer can provide you with a new fur lining. Restyling a used fur into a fur-lined and trimmed fabric coat is not an inexpensive endeavor. Furriers charge anywhere from $1,695 to $2,400 for such a remodel. Some people feel this is a lot of money to put into a coat that was expensive in the first place. But remember, not only are you paying for the work required to take a coat apart and put it back together again differently, you are also paying for the equivalent of a new fabric coat. Unless money is no option, remodeling your fur is usually not recommended unless its style is entirely out of date and you're not getting any use out of it. Then the price doesn't sound so high compared to paying another $6,000 or $7,000 for a new mink. Other types of restyles that don't include adding fur or fabric cost much less. At Gus Goodman Inc., you can turn your old stole into cuffs for your pants or boots for under $300 or turn your old jacket into the lining for a jean jacket for between $800 and $900. If you're interested in remodeling your fur, plan early. Don't do it at the last minute, just in time for a big event. Restyling takes time, anywhere from three to six weeks. The summer is the best time to restyle your fur. Not only are you in no rush to wear it then, fur factories are less busy during the summer and can produce your remodel job quicker.