To not have known that real fur is sometimes sold as fake fur???

[HolyShmoly]

Just watching Countryfile and they are talking about the use of real fur being used and marketed as faux fur on things such as bobble hats and other trim. I would never have thought this was a thing as I assumed real fur was more expensive.
I'm so shocked by this, I find it really disturbing how little transparency there is.
Although interesting conversation as well about whether faux fur is actually worse as it's yet another plastic.

Seriously? FFS. Did they offer any insight into how to confirm it was real or fake?

I avoid faux now on everything!
I just can't trust what I buy isn't real as it is cheaper than faux to buy to produce stupid bag bobbles or whatever they use it for now.
I agree I was shocked when I found out, I felt faux other day and felt sick. Never again.

Yes - if you look very closely it's usually easy to spot the real fur. I volunteer in a charity shop and the policy is not to sell fur items so there are a few things I look at:

part the fibres and look really closely at what they're attached to, it's usually easy to tell whether it's skin or fibre.

Blow it - real fur moves in a way which fake doesn't.

Real fur fibres aren't all the same length and will taper to a point - fake doesn't.

Takes experience looking at a lot of things to be able to spot it though, just like anything else.

YY, OP, I’ve just been checking my hat Pompom and I’m fairly confident it’s faux based on the 3 checks she talked about.

It is disgusting and more so that even the companies selling it are mislead into thinking its faux

Knew about this for some time - mostly appears in trims as you say as it is often cheaper than synthetic.

Way to test it through touch ( or microscope). I believe it's silkier ( that a word! ) I don't trust my judgement so I avoid.
Did a tonight programme on itv I think , I know I saw a documentary on it

I am vehemently opposed to the wearing of fur and would not wear fake fur either because to me it sends the message that fur is a luxury/desirable item and some people are too stupid to care if its real or fake.

If what you say is true its totally unacceptable.

I am watching Countryfile on catchup and just got to the fur bit - the Danish farmer does have a point though. Is her raising mink for their fur really any different from farmers raising cows or sheep?

Difference with the fur missold as faux is that it's not mink, it's cheap cat, dog or rabbit from the far east where welfare standards are non-existent.

There was some reporting on this six months ago but it wasn't widely spread. But now you know.

I don't buy or wear either faux or real though tbh: for me, even wearing fake fur makes the statement that you think it's a good look, and I can't agree that fur looks better (or even anywhere near as good) on a human than on the living animal that grew it.

Makes it bloody difficult to buy children's coats, though. The current fashion for fur trimmed hoods reduces my options by a good 3/4!

@SilverySurfer I shall not be purchasing anymore. The only thing I have is my maternity coat which has fluff around the hood, clearly fake thankfully. I don't trust myself to be able to tell in future though.

It’s very easy to tell fake from real, it feels completely different and moves very differently as someone above said. I always check before I buy, would hate to buy real.

This was in the news about a year ago and some retailers had been caught out.

In addition to the above checks, part the fur and see what it’s attached to, if it’s material then it’s most likely to be fur. Animal hide is very distinctive.

I have a real fur jacket and can tell the difference. I never wear the real one anymore as I don't need to but I know I might have to some day.
The easiest way to tell is to check what it's attached to as PP describes. Animal skin is very easy to spot.

Oops should say if it’s attached to material, its most likely not to be real due!

Fur not due! Damm you phone!!!

I would never have thought to check before now though, I might have just been surprised at the high quality of the fake stuff - how real it seemed! I had one coat with a fake fur hood trim but it looked like crap after it got wet so it put me off buying anything else similar for myself, but I've seen those pom pom keychains etc.

I do get her point about the fact that I eat meat, would wear leather, etc. so how is high welfare fur much different. But if it's cheaper than faux fur then it's definitely not going to be high welfare.

The programme threw up lots of questions about how fake fur is produced. I have to say I didn’t even think about it before. Also the POV of the fur producer. Those mink looked a lot happier than the intensively farmed chickens a few weeks ago.

A lot of those pompom keychain were found to be real fur, shops like primark and zara were caught out from memory

I think the best policy is to avoid all fur - real or fake. The fake stuff sheds micro plastics all over the place too.