Fur in Fashion: A Controversial Comeback

Image Courtesy: Strike FSU

Fashion is not always meant to be safe and comfortable. At its heart, fashion is meant to be daring, creative, and controversial. And at the crux of so many industry controversies lie one material: animal fur. Since the early 1980s, activists have been protesting the use of hides to make coats, hats, and other stylish winter clothing. With catchy slogans like “make compassion the fashion,” along with harrowing images and tales of animal cruelty, it is not hard to see why the Fur-Free movement caught on. It was so influential that thousands of celebrities, department stores, and designers quit buying and producing real fur products.

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Faux fur has been around for far longer than one might think – it has been used by people of lower social status to emulate fur since the 1920s. Made from polymers, including acrylic and polyester fibers, fashionistas of the past and present have made the argument that there is always a clear distinction between faux and real fur. But with ever-increasing technology and an equally growing demand, faux fur is becoming more and more realistic.

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Even with the more lifelike options available, many designers and brands have come to embrace the fake, ‘tacky’ faux look. Think, for example, of the recently popular Demonia Camel 311s. These boots embrace the punkish, Y2K phase we’ve all been going through by almost imitating the look of Ugg boots, one of the best examples of faux fur in our generation. The Camels are covered in synthetic fur, either white or brightly dyed, and they represent a great way to embrace the fake, so to speak.

Image Courtesy: Funky Pair

Unfortunately, however, faux fur is not exactly the perfect solution. Remember the fancy words, “acrylic and polyester fibers?” Well, that’s just a complicated way to say plastics. That’s right, plastic. The effects of plastic on the environment are found in most aspects of our lives and are impossible to escape. It seems that every solution brings about a new plastic problem, and the fur industry is no exception. Environmentally speaking, real fur is the more sustainable solution - as it will eventually biodegrade - while faux fur could sit in a landfill for hundreds of years. To make matters worse, environmental organization Friends of the Earth named synthetic clothing as one of the leading sources of microplastic pollution. When you wash faux fur, microfibers can leak into the water system. So, there is a hard choice between harming land animals and harming aquatic animals.

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There is still hope for the animals and the ocean. Scientists are working on biobased fibers to replace microplastics, in a move that could push us fully to faux. The most sustainable way to get furry is, of course, buying real vintage fur at thrift stores. However, if you are uncomfortable wearing animal hides, we completely understand. Save the animals, stop using real fur.

Strike Out,

Writer: Elissa Day

Editor: Breanna Tang

Graphic Designer: Jacqueline Esguerra

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