To wear my mum's fur coat?

[longtrainrunning]

i inherited my mum's coat and it's been sat in my wardrobe for years - I didn't know what to do with it. However, it's so cold and the other day I tried it on -it is just so gorgeous and fabulously warm; full length with a collar that sort of comes up over your ears.

Now I am fiercely opposed to farming or trapping animals to satisfy some foolish woman's vanity ..... but but but ... these poor creatures (canadian squirrel I think) have been dead since about the 30's. Should I wear it? Or sell it? Or bin it? I am tempted to wear it, even if it's only in the garden or under the cover of darkness! WWYD?

I don't understand the 'I inherited it I didn't buy it' mentality.What is the difference? How did they kill the animals in the good old days? I wouldn't wear fur only because it looks naff and and a bit try to hard.

And I was prepared to go in with an open mind, so there you go.

I'm still recovering from the raccoon dog thread, so I'm out of here.

I think with animal rights videos we should keep in mind that many groups/their members are as interludes fanatical about it as pro-life groups can be. Just to put videos into perspective.

As it is I've never worn real fur,faux fur bought on the high street does the job well enough. I'm sure in truly cold climates,like Russia, real fur is more justifiable.

The European Fur Farming Standards haven't been around for long. I have seen the video convincing everyone fur farms are now great and it still made me cry. Yes the animals have fresh water and their own cages now, but they are still tiny and they are still cooped up in them for their whole short lives.

When the OPs coat was made the animals were most likely still alive when they were skinned, they would have been kept in small cages with 20 or more squirrels in them all running about in their own mess, eating each other when they died of the illnesses they contracted, no food, no water. Really its heartbreaking. Just because something happened however many years ago it doesn't negate the fact it still happened and was still awful.

Fergus for an ethical way to get rid of a fur coat see the PETA link posted above.

If you want to wear fur wear it, I personally think it's abhorrent and would happily tell you that. I would never throw paint over you or assault you in any way as that's abhorrent too. But please don't be all prissy and say that you're opposed to it but because you have an old coat it's ok.

If you're opposed to it give the coat to a sanctuary who are using old fur coats as comforters for their rescue animals. If you're not opposed to it wear your coat and accept that some people disagree with you.

Never fur

kinkydorito when I said google, I meant google, not go to the first link! The anti-fur brigade will always be near the top of any google search because these are the pages that are visited most often. The real fur industry standards website appears about 10th on the list of webpages.

Hmm, give it to PETA so they can destroy it in one of their 'fashion shows' or give it to the homeless - "the only people who have any excuse to wear fur"

So it's okay for homeless people to wear them, after all they can't afford ethics.

PETA wind me up.

You can't undead the animals. I wouldn't wear it personally as i don't like the idea of it but if you like the coat wear it. How is that funding fur trade? people would think it was fake anyway.

OP, would you wear a fur coat if it was given to you for free by a friend? Or perhaps by a fur-coat-selling company as a promotion? Or you won it in a lottery as an unexpected prise? In these cases, you did not solicit the coat and directly caused the animals to be raised and killed. Just the same as in the case of your mother's coat. Perhaps this is not so much about how the coat was acquired but about what it means to wear it.

I eat meat, and wear leather, so I'd say wear it.

I think PETA are immature fools who are so hardline they alienate those with empathy for farm animals bred in captivity, and those trapped in the wild. Their pot of paint campaigns suit those immature haters who don't want to do any logical thinking for themselves.

If PETA want to do anything useful they could accept the reality that people eat meat and wear skins (some with fur on, some not), and campaign for really 'humane' ways of killing animals for meat / skin.

I've worked with farm animals and seen them slaughtered in an abattoir, and it ain't pretty. The law states that you can't slaughter your own animals now on your farm, you have to have them slaughtered in an abattoir - but I think that's awful, as the animals are distressed in amongst the smell of death. And the bolt doesn't kill them - they bleed out actually.
So there's real work to be done there - but maybe it's easier to have a go at someone wearing a coat with a pot of paint, then putting their thinking caps on, and actually doing something POSITIVE.

I think people eat meat and wear leather without batting an eyelid, but there is a Puritanical no-no about wearing luscious fur that doesn't make any logical sense - it's all animal skin - just some of it still has the hair attached.

If I'm really honest I have to say I adore the feel of fur - whether it's on a live animal or not. I love the feeling of suede also, and buttery leather. This luxe handle obviously presses those Puritanical buttons in PETA.

I wore my gran's old fur coat last year in the snow and it was toasty. It's a bit raggedy looking but I'd not buy a new one, unless I was sure it came from a fur farm (and never trapped), where the animals were humanely killed, and even then, having been in an abattoir, I doubt that happens.

PETA are too extreme for me as well tbh. I support animal charities but not them some of their methods leave a lot to be desired, however I don't know of a better way to get rid of old fur coats. Its only been recently (on here) that I have heard of that scheme, and as far as I have read up it does seem to be the most ethical thing to do with them. I am willing to be corrected if someone knows more about it or a better way to do it though.

"Now I am fiercely opposed to farming or trapping animals to satisfy some foolish woman's vanity "...............

If you are considering wearing it you arent fiercely opposed to fur farming, you would be indirectly supporting it.

Its up to you of course, but as I am actually opposed to fur farming then I would bin it, I have done so with a few of my Grans old furs without a second thought, apart from for the poor little buggers that had to die in the most horrific way just to keep someone warm.

Plenty of warm jackets on at TK Maxx atm, probably a lot warmer than some minging fur coat from years ago.

rhinestone, do you represent the PETA by any chance? Such mad ramblings are a trademark of these Uber-Nutters.
to OP, of course wear it, fur is ever so warm and comfortable.
I have inherited a few fur coats and do wear them when. With great enjoyment.

Fark off rhinestone.

People have the right to wear fur is not illegal.

I hate bad treatment of animals but why get so aggressive over old fur. Way too rude comments in this thread.

It already exists, it's a nostalgic item, it keeps you warm. Wear it!

I would wear it just to piss off rhiney

Wear it. Or sell it. A vintage fur like this going to waste as travesty.

I've a beautiful 1940s arctic fox from my grandmother which I love. I wear it ever party season.

So far have only been threatened once. O find that when people ask if it's real, the best thing is to say yes and that it's 70 years old. Their reaction is normally fine.

Hi it's the OP here. Have been out and so only just seen the rest of this thread and didn't want people to think that I had just posted and run.

Many interesting viewpoints and I am still undecided. It isn't that I am particularly sentimentally attached to my mum's fur coat. More that it's a thing of beauty (not to mention unbelievably warm which is what started this whole train of thought going!) and also that it all happened so very long ago.

I do eat meat and I do use leather but I feel that, although not ideal, it is morally acceptable for me to do so. After all every bit of the cow is used and it is not just produced for it's pelt to adorn rich women. Also, in this country at least, welfare standards for cattle are of a decent standard - whole new topic there I guess.

I think on balance I will not wear the coat; my conscience won't allow it. That still leaves the question of what to do with the damn thing!

To bin it seems seem sacrilegious, if only to the squirrels. To give it to charity seems patronising (and no I will not support PETA, totally bonkers) and to sell it means that I will profit from it, even worse in my opinion. Oh fuck it, back in the wardrobe it goes!!

You could give it to me, what size is it ??

PessaryPam lol!! It's probably a 14/16.

Maybe you should return it to me in Canada to appease your guilt...

is it a size 14?

Def sell it or give it to someone who can use it(seems like you already have someone who is interested)

It's such a waste otherwise!

try wearing it and see if you feel comfortable...

My MIL inherited two gorgeous (if you like that sort of thing) fur coats from her own mother, my DH's much loved Nanna. Like you OP my MIL couldn't really bring herself to wear them. Instead she had them made into about 8 medium sized teddy bears (no idea how she found the talented person who did the sewing!) and now each of that kind lady's great grandchildren (most of whom she never got to meet) has a bear.

I'm sitting here trying to figure out why making stuffed toys out of fur pelts is better than wearing them as a coat but I am stumped!!