Fur - yes or no?

[MrsCampbellBlack]

Interesting article about fur in September vogue. Seems its becoming popular again and I just wondered what people's views were on here?

Personally I'd wear shearling as not sure that's very different to leather (is it??) but wouldn't wear real fur.

So does anyone wear real fur?

[AntPants1]

No. Not sure my reasons would stand up to vigorous debate/ challenge. Funnily enough I hated the idea of fur even as a young child before anyone could have influenced me. Remember hating my nana's fur coat vividly.

Like lots of posters above I am a mass of contradictions- eat meat, wear leather etc but my internal moral compass just says no. Recognise also I have lived all my life in the UK where the weather does not really warent fur and where it's not really the norm. Absolutely hate the ldea of animal cruelty so risk of Chinese fur also too great for me.

[Vibbe]

Not all animals used for fur are killed while still alive.

There are bad farmers and good ones. The good ones will care about killing humanely and treating the animals well. The bad ones don't care at all.

[Vibbe]

Haha, that should have been "Not all animals used for fur are skinned while still alive."

[coffeeinbed]

Well, you can't kill something that's not alive?

[coffeeinbed]

Oh, sorry!

[Anthracite]

I have a Canada Goose winter coat with a prairie fox (coyote) hood trim. I love it. If you do enough research, you find that prairie fox is fair game for the Eskimos, and that by buying Canada Goose (and similar brands), you are supporting an indigenous lifestyle.

[BerryBlast]

Yes, on the animal. On me, no

[OverTheFieldsAndFarAway]

Yes I would. Given half a chance. I also eat fluffy rabbits and cute deer and baby cows...it's my choice.

[ProjectGainsborough]

Ah, I see. Yes, that is horrible.

ulysses I think for me, I don't mind vintage because a) it happened say, 50 years ago, so I am not actively creating an increased demand for fur and fur trade and b) I am reusing something, rather than just consuming and creating more demand for new or throwaway stuff generally.

I am rather proud of MN for this thread not becoming a bunfight.

[libertychick]

My aunt has a short mink jacket, about 30 years old - she asked me if I would like it someday - I said no. I have tried it on and it looks lovely but it feels a bit too real, it creeps me out a bit, you could basically count the number of animals it took to make it.

I love fake fur though - I had an amazing fake fur coat in my 20's - big shaggy, oversize cocoon shape which I absolutely loved!

[CointreauVersial]

I was at a market in a local town the other week, and there was a market stall selling vintage furs. Hundreds of coats and jackets. Lots of people browsing, no-one batting an eyelid - I couldn't help thinking that reactions to such a stall would have been very different 20 years ago. There is definitely a softening of the anti-fur stance.

As for me, well, the vintage furs were lovely, but not "me" really. I had a good stroke, though...

[Tubemole1]

No, not for me.

I sometimes work in Knightsbridge and every Saturday a guy protests outside Harrods objecting to their fur dept.

I wear leather because I eat beef. But I can't face eating a fox, or a mink. I am in turmoil about rabbit, as I like eating rabbit, and then my views don't sit nicely with me.

[AmandaHoldenmigroin]

No from me. I have issues with the way they are killed. I don't see why it should make a difference that the fur is vintage. Lots of people where I live wear fur (in the collars mostly). They do not have an issue with it. each to their own, I suppose.

[MrsCampbellBlack]

I re-read the article last night, and the writer argued that there is almost a heirarchy of furs in terms of animal welfare. So mink farmed in Denmark will have been treated well but farmed fox is a different matter. And yes, fur from China should be avoided as so little is known about animal welfare standards.

And in Denmark the animals aren't skinned alive - they were either gassed or electrocuted. Mink the former.

Its interesting reading everyone's comments. And Liberty - I agree - its the furs that really look like fur that creep me out most.

[Naebother]

No.

[dexter73]

How old does a coat have to be before it is classed as vintage? 10 years, 40 years?

[bunnymother]

I was talking to a woman at a wedding whose family sells fur, and she said something similar about the hierarchy of fur. Morally, I would actually buy and wear fur. Practically, the upkeep and maintenance of a fur coat sounds far too expensive. Specialist cleaning, specialist storage etc etc etc. So, I will probably only ever buy fake fur. Good fake fur. Not the nasty crinkly stuff that seems to shoot out electric sparks.

[slug]

Possum from New Zealand is ethical fur. They are an imported species who do immense harm to the unique NZ wildlife and fauna. The fur industry keeps the numbers down and saves the birds/trees into the bargain.

Plus it's snuggly and warm. What's not to like? I lust after one of these

[BadgersRetreat]

I have a Canada Goose winter coat with a prairie fox (coyote) hood trim. I love it. If you do enough research, you find that prairie fox is fair game for the Eskimos, and that by buying Canada Goose (and similar brands), you are supporting an indigenous lifestyle.


^ that's good to know because i am buying one for this winter. Fed up of freezing to death every year. If i can support our aboriginal peoples then so much the better.

I live in Canada and fur is not a big deal here, from what i can tell. See a fair bit of it around.

[CruCru]

Isn't a really high end fur coat at least £10k? There may be ethical issues but going out with that on your back seems a bit dangerous. Plus it relies on you wearing it only to places with a proper cloakroom. Going round shops with a full length fur coat would get very heavy.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

every year the fashion industry promotes fur but i don't think i ever see fur being worm- except on older ladies.

excuse the dodgy typing, i'm cuddling one of my 2 fur coats

they squeak

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

worm should be worn

[sameoldIggi]

I think "ethical fur" must be an oxymoron.

[slug]

I think you'll find, sameoldIggi, if you read the link, that possum fur is ethical in that the fur industry in NZ is responsible for keeping down the population of an imported species that does untold damage to the unique forests and wildlife of NZ. It's at the forefront of saving several species from extinction.

During the 80's when the anti fur lobby gained ground, the fur industry in NZ shriveled as it became uneconomic to trap. The net result of this was two things. 1. The possum population boomed resulting in the die off of large swathes of native forest (they eat the growing tips of the palms and tree ferns) and several birds teetered on the edge of extinction (the kiwi being one of them) and 2. The only option the govt had left was to institute poison drops to try and control the population. The problem with these is it's impossible to target exactly who or what will eat the bait. So along with poisoned possums you also had poisoned cats, birds and the occasional child, not to mention the birds of prey that feasted on the poisoned possums themselves and promptly died too.

It's a real problem when an imported species with no natural predators is allowed to get out of control. The first time I took DH to NZ we were about an hour out of Auckland when he got up the courage to ask if we deliberately drove over possums. The answer is 'yes' it's almost a national duty. We know that possums and bunnies, however cute and fluffy they may look, represent a major threat to what makes NZ unique.

[AmandaHoldenmigroin]

Also live in N. America. The Canada Goose jackets are very popular.