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Original poster

WWYD if you really needed a winter coat, bought one in a charity shop and then found out it was real fur?

108 replies

HettyAmaretti · 06/12/2011 16:49

That's what I did.

Obviously I could see it was furry when I bought it but I assumed it was fake, think the staff did too otherwise I'm sure it would have been more expensive. Paid 25 quid for it.

It's lovely. It's very cold outside and I have no other coat Sad

Fuck.

WWYD?

OP posts:
Original poster
HettyAmaretti · 06/12/2011 16:51

Oh, and for total clarity: I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have bought it (even for that price) if I'd known it was real.

OP posts:
worldgonecrazy · 06/12/2011 16:54

If you would not wear fur for ethical reasons then ask if you can take it back. If you are worried because of what other people will think, then that's between you and your conscience. The red paint brigade appear to have become an urban myth, I have never had anything except positive comments.

I have several fur coats and they are very lovely and warm. If you keep it remember to try and keep it dry, don't wear a shoulder bag, and take it off whenever you sit down otherwise you will wear the guard hairs away in the area that you sit on.

Northernlurker · 06/12/2011 16:54

How do you know it's real?

Look - you need a coat. It won't make any difference to the animal now. Just wear it.

I'd be surprised actually if it is real - I thought you needed a licence to see real fur?

BluddyMoFo · 06/12/2011 16:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MayorNaze · 06/12/2011 16:56

flog it on ebay

buy new ethical coat with the proceeds :)

ggirl · 06/12/2011 16:56

just wear it and feign ignorance
enjoy the warmth

worldgonecrazy · 06/12/2011 16:58

northernlurker certain furs are covered by the CITES Convention, but only those belonging to endangered animals. Most furs that you find in shops aren't covered by this Act, or are old enough to be classified as 'antique'. In this case it's best to get a receipt from the shop to prove it was bought as an antique/aged item (I have a couple of these for some vintage snake and crocodile bags I own).

Fur such as rabbit, mink and fox is not covered by the CITES Convention and does not require a licence.

midnightexpress · 06/12/2011 16:59

LOL @ 'a licence to see real fur' Grin

I'd take it back because I'd be paranoid about what people were thinking, imagining hate vibes etc. Which is odd, because I'm not normally the type to be bovvered about other people's opinions of me. I guess I must be a bit of a judgeypants wrt fur, and imagine that others are too. Confused

bamboozled · 06/12/2011 16:59

I'd just wear it and not tell anyone - (ducks as brickbats come flying)
you didn't go out to buy a fur coat so are not actively supporting the fur trade.
If you have an ethical problem with it, give it to a homeless shelter but otherwise - just sling it on and be warm....

vixsatis · 06/12/2011 17:00

Would you wear leather shoes?

If the answer is yes then you should have no qualms if it is just rabbit/mink/fox

If you have qualms, it's a bit late: you can't bring the rare Siberian tiger whose skin you have back to life

Northernlurker · 06/12/2011 17:05

Thanks world - I thought there was something like that.

Yes that's right you can't even see it anymore let alone sell it!

AvadventKalendar · 06/12/2011 17:08

I think the red flag must have been a £25 price tag on a charity shop coat, no?

HappyCamel · 06/12/2011 17:10

Wear it, you can't bring the animal back, it might as well not have died in vain.

For what it's worth, people have worn fur for millennia and clothes made from oil (acrylic) could be seen as unethical as could some cotton farms.

mirpuppet · 06/12/2011 17:41

Wear it.

moondog · 06/12/2011 17:42

Get it on you nutter.

moonmother · 06/12/2011 17:44

My friend has done the same very recently, she even managed to get a bit of the lining undone in the shop to check. It had material under the lining she thought it was a good fake (so did the charity shop) and bought it.

On further investigation when she got home the lining under the lining had been bonded to the skin of the fur and it is real.

She has worn it, she was worried but people have just commented on how lovely the coat is, and what great fake fur there is about nowadays.

And that really is the point, where I used to work bought in very expensive faux fur from Italy for accessories/hats and when the items were made and lined you really couldn't tell. Faux fur is made to look as real as possible nowadays.

Wear it and as has been said leather shoes are worn without a thought by most of us. Rabbit was bred mainly for it's meat years ago and the fur was a by-product. Mink ...well they're killing our native water voles Wink

tardisjumper · 06/12/2011 17:46

i think the best things to do with fur is recycle. little point in throwing it away.

ISawPINOTSnoggingSantaClaus · 06/12/2011 18:47

Ewwwww, I wouldn't wear it. My Nan had one and all the grandaughters except me all wanted it after she passed.

But it's 100% personal choice isn't it? Just like everything else.

PurplePidjInAPearTree · 06/12/2011 18:54

From a style point of view, there's nothing wrong with it - if you feel guilty, donate some money to either the charity you bought it from, or to the WWF/similar.

Ethically it's much more personal. Personally, I would see it as recycling - as others have said, the animal is already dead so it's the same as leather shoes and you might as well use it!

stinkyfluffycat · 06/12/2011 18:56

As the animal is long dead you haven't done any harm by buying it second hand, but people like me wouldn't know you'd bought it second hand and would give you subtle because I'm chicken dirty looks in the street...

SparklyCloud · 06/12/2011 18:57

I would not wear it, parading another animal's skin around, who died for it to be made into that coat? Totally not on.

Original poster
HettyAmaretti · 06/12/2011 19:19

Mmm, right, well, thanks everyone. Food for though there.

I'm still not sure what I'll do with it. In a way I feel it would be a somehow disrespectful to the animals concerned not to wear it now I've got it. OTOH I think I might feel weird about wearing it. I certainly couldn't throw it out or give it to the cats to sleep on. The shop doesn't accept returns and I can't afford to re-donate it to the. Gah!

But yes, I do eat meat, wear leather and the rest.

I'm sure it's fur because I was preparing to re-line it and found the original label, a second lining had been put over (what was left of) the original one. the pile is blatantly attached to leather. Was going to bung it in the wash first but decided to do it after - that'd have solved the dilemma Wink

So, did a bit of googling. The shop named on the label was in business between 1933 and 1944, so it is at least really old. I think it's mink. The fur looks quite like like <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.nl/imgres?q=mink&um=1&hl=nl&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1280&bih=593&tbm=isch&tbnid=5dJTLv9HTMcEfM:&imgrefurl=www.mailonfurs.com/mens/mens-black-mink-bomber-jacket&docid=A2piJlauQet3CM&imgurl=www.mailonfurs.com/photos/mens/mensblackheads1.jpg&w=1250&h=1867&ei=wGjeTuqzBMPsOeLvoKwJ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=791&vpy=213&dur=513&hovh=272&hovw=182&tx=61&ty=128&sig=109562287248769302023&page=9&tbnh=122&tbnw=80&start=176&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:176" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this one rather that what I always though of a fur coat looking like. I thought mink was a browny colour though? This is black.

The cheapest oat they hat was 15 pounds, the most expensive 35. So, no a middle of the price range coat didn;t ring any alarm bells...

OP posts:
henrythecat · 06/12/2011 19:40

Sorry, I wouldn't wear it. And I would be having words with the shop that sold it to you as it was a charity shop.

Ok, your coat seems to be 'vintage' and I understand your point about not wanting the animal to have died in vain - I used to think the same until a mumsnetter pointed out, on another thread about fur, that wearing vintage fur still 'promotes' fur and encourages society to think of it as being acceptable.

I'd write it off as a charity donation, put it in the bin and get another coat. I'd go without a coat rather than wear fur.

SparklyCloud · 06/12/2011 19:59

henrythecat, that is exactly it, wearing fur promotes it.
I also would go without a coat than wear fur.

that link showing mens mink coat- he looks like a right wally, and it really is disgraceful in our enlightened times :(

sweetsantababy · 06/12/2011 20:04

Try and take it back - explain why. If not, and you really can't afford a primark cheapy then wear it. Although i would be slightly worried about loonies throwing red paint on you or the like,