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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to wonder why it's acceptable to flaunt a leopard-skin coat?

43 replies

RockinSockBunnies · 19/02/2010 18:45

So, an acquaintance of mine has been wearing what I'd assumed to be a fake fur coat these past few days. Happened to be sitting next to her today and coat was hanging over the back of her chair which I brushed against as I went past. Realised it felt totally real, rather than fake.

So, I asked her if it was indeed real which she confirmed it was (she's very rich, wears very expensive designer stuff etc).

Now, I should state that I'm a vegetarian and love animals...BUT, still, for most people, isn't there a line to be drawn at wearing fur? Especially since we don't actually live in Siberia but the UK (in my case, London).

She raised an eyebrow at me when I queried if it was real and asked if I was going to throw my drink over it. As tempting as that sounded, I doubt it would miraculously bring the leopard back to life so I ignored her comment.

But AIBU to think that there really is no place for fur to be worn?

OP posts:

GrungeBlobPrimpants · 19/02/2010 18:48

YANBU

Wearing fur totally unacceptable and belongs on an animal. Particularly a leopard, which is endangered for this very reason.

groundhogs · 19/02/2010 18:50

Oh how very sad, to think that there really are women stupid enough to think that it is in any way acceptable.

YANBU, and show her this thread... I guarantee there will be words more severe than mine.

GhoulsAreLoud · 19/02/2010 18:51

I think it's horrible. But I peronally am not a vegetarian so I probably couldn't take the moral high ground on this one so should probably stop out of sheer hypocrisy!

Original poster

RockinSockBunnies · 19/02/2010 18:52

Not sure that I should show her this thread since she's going to be a work colleague for at least the next two years. Also, I doubt she actually cares in the slightest. But it seems that fur is gradually becoming more acceptable (well, at least if you live in Notting Hill) which sickens me.

OP posts:

BritFish · 19/02/2010 18:52

personally, it totally depends on how old the coat is.
i dont have great issues with people wearing fur, although there's a lot a dont know that i should, and id actually like to know if youve got any info to share?
all i can figure out is that fur coats are from animals that aren't farmed for anything else so they just take the fur.
but then we waste certain parts of cows, pigs etc so...
enlighten me please!
but if it was a vintage coat [ie, that animals been dead over 40 years, could you really ruin something so valuable?]
i'd feel significantly better.
and im still not sure why!
because loving animals is of course wonderful, but noone's going to stop using leather or fur...

BritFish · 19/02/2010 18:54

realised the above comment actually sounded sarcastic, not my intention, i'd genuinely like to know more on why wearing fur is so taboo!
[i was going to write-outside of fashion- but then plenty of people inside the industry hate fur]

CrowAndAlice · 19/02/2010 18:58

There are videos BritFish online if you can stomach them.....

Fur taken form endangered species....do i really need to explain?

And Fur from Ermine, Rabbits etc. is taken while the animal is still alive - so as not to damage the fur in any way. This is not an urban myth....

GrungeBlobPrimpants · 19/02/2010 19:04

BritFish - Leopards are not farmed. They are an endangered species

Morloth · 19/02/2010 19:10

I am fine with fur, if the fur comes from a farmed animal/is a byproduct from an animal that has been treated appropriately.

But not a leopard, not sure I would still be friends with someone wear leopard fur. It really isn't on.

gerontius · 19/02/2010 19:12

But why not a leopard? Why does it make it ok to wear fur from animals if there are lots of them?

Original poster

RockinSockBunnies · 19/02/2010 19:13

Well, with respect to leopards in particular, the fact that they're endangered means that using them for fur to make a fashion statement shouldn't really be acceptable in any capacity.

With respect to other kinds of fur, the fact that animals are farmed specifically for their skins, in horrific conditions, means that for me, it's morally repugnant to accept that kind of suffering simply for fashion. There's some information here

At least leather etc is a by-product of the meat industry (which, as a veggie, I'm obviously not a great fan of but since humans are omnivores, I'm not going to get into a debate about the ethics of meat-eating).

In terms of whether or not the coat was vintage (which somehow I doubt, given the 'high-fashion' inclinations of this person), it still sends a signal that it's acceptable to wear endangered species for vanity reasons.

OP posts:

groundhogs · 19/02/2010 19:13

Ghouls, I'm not a vegetarian either, so no chance of you being classed as hypocritic, we none of us have ever entertained a leopard kebab have we?

I think vegetarianism in this case is actually irrelevant, it's just plain WRONG to wear fur in this day and age.

serenity · 19/02/2010 19:15

There's a big difference between using an animal for sustenance (and I have no problems with that) and killing an animal purely for decorative reasons (which I do have issues with)

Dislike 'vintage' fur on the basis that it's promoting fur as a fashionable/chic/stylish option. It's irrelevant when it was actually made.

gerontius · 19/02/2010 19:15

Why is vegetarianism irrelevant? Either you don't think you should kill animals, in which case you don't do either, or you don't mind, in which case you don't object to either.

GhoulsAreLoud · 19/02/2010 19:20

I'm just not going to get on my soapbox about how an animal shouldn't have to die so we have something to wear when I'm quite happy for an animal to die so I can have something tasty to eat.

I would never wear fur, and would balk at discovering it in RL, but I don't think I'm best placed to lecture!

serenity · 19/02/2010 19:22

I disagree gerontius. I'm happy with animals dying under certain circumstances. Making people look good (supposedly) isn't one of them. It isn't as black and white as kill or don't kill.

GrungeBlobPrimpants · 19/02/2010 19:22

I'm not veggie either

Leather = by-product of killing animals for food/to eat

Fur = killing animals for fashion/vanity = quite a difference. Not remotely acceptable ethically, imo

Go back a hundred years or more and fur coats were probably only way to keep warm in Russia or elsewhere. However, as there are now range of madmade fibres that provide warmth so there is no excuse. On top of that, leopards/tigers and many other animals are at critical levels - poaching for fur trade helps push them further to extinction

GhoulsAreLoud · 19/02/2010 19:24

True grugebob but the animals all end up dead either way.

We could all survive without eating meat if we really cared that much.

Ziggurat · 19/02/2010 19:25

I wouldn't wear fur, but have leather shoes and handbags and sleep with feather pillows and duvets, so I'm hardly above reproach.

A leopard fur, though...

SofaQueen · 19/02/2010 19:26

If the woman is fashionable, the fur is vintage and reworked. It is illegal to buy and sell pelts of endangered species. No legitimate designer would touch new leopard.

Mink is farmed, and a nasty rat-like creature. It is also used in other products (ever heard of the uses of mink oil?).

People who are against it and eat meat are on very shaky ethical grounds.

ScreaminEagle · 19/02/2010 19:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

gerontius · 19/02/2010 19:27

It's not as though we need to meat to survive. Both fur and meat involve killing an animal to make us look good (not saying I think so)/because we like the taste.

OTTMummA · 19/02/2010 19:27

how do they get leather and suede? is it farmed etc, why is that ok?
i have seen a link to a video of poor animals being skinned alive, it actualy made me sick, and extremely upset, and im the biggest carnivore!
ive also killed chickens from my grandads farm and shot rabbits, pigeons etc but i have never skinned an animal alive! ive always hunted/slaughtered for food, and have a great respect for animals, i wouldn't wear fur, not because i disagree with it, but i just don't see the need in this climate.
I think if your friends coat is vintage than i don't see anything wrong with it TBH.
and why would you assume she is flaunting it?
surely its better she wears it than keep it hidden away?

southeastastra · 19/02/2010 19:28

its pretty vulgar however old it is. i'd bury it - poor animal

Kaloki · 19/02/2010 19:35

I really hate new fur coats, vintage is different though. When you are talking about a vintage fur coat, you are talking about coats made when warm synthetic materials were more scarce.

I got chatting to a lovely old lady once, from Russia, and she was telling me about how she can't wear her fur coats anymore. Even though when she bought them, in the 40's, it was the only way to stay warm in a cold climate.

Nowadays there is no excuse, but we cannot undo the past, and we can't judge by todays standards.

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