Is anybody interested in discussing the ethics of faux fur?

[LeftyMom]

I'm wondering, does anybody else think that wearing faux contributes to the social acceptablity and fashion cachet of fur and thus keeps the fur trade going? That's my main concern, but I'm not sure if that's off base.

I didn't realize this, but it's not legally required to label a garment as fur if it's less than $150 worth of pelt value, so some faux stuff may not be faux at all. http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/fur_and_trapping/fur_products_labeling_act.html

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if we're making the argument that wearing fur is never justifiable, are AR groups such as PETA, stores that cater to AR people and vegans and individuals making purchase decisions working against our long term goals by promoting the use of faux fur?

[flvegan]

1. One question...

Tofurkey makes a faux turkey...Yves makes fake lunch meat...Boca and Gardenburger make vegan "ground hamburger"...

What are the ethics there?

We need to remove the ethics that are put in place by those that not only blaspheme them, but also redefine how we view them. Ethics is as ethics does.

Faux fur is nothing more than material made to look/feel/act like another material. Does it keep the fur trade going? No. Does it establish the fact that fur looks/feels good as a material? Yes, partially. It's not that it establishes it, it's that it certifies it from a faux point of view. So...what have we established? Fur (real) looks and feels good, it functions. Groovy. What else? That there's an alternative that equals it, yet, doesn't require the delving into the blood trade. So, if one, knowing that, buys fur, they simply lack the morals of the normal person. Well, or they at least have a certain bias against it/them.

That said...I dare anyone to make a choice not based in ego that still goes with real fur. Dare you...double dog dare you...

Our problem is that we project what we want to be and that interferes with what we're trying to do.

[AlienGirl]

2. I think faux fur would've been invented...

...even if humans didn't wear dead-animal-skins.

Fur feels nice. We like to stroke cats and other furry animals because they're soft. In an imaginary world where wearing dead animals had never happened, I think someone would still have come up with a fabric that emulated fur.

I do wish someone would make a line of faux-fur stuff that is *obviously* faux. As it stands, I would not walk down the street in a high-quality faux fur jacket because people might assume it was real, and I don't want random strangers assuming bad things about me. But if I could get something that feels soft and warm and fuzzy but is obviously *not* dead-animal, I'd wear it.

Tucker

[Raine]

4. I don't wear fake fur either

for that very reason. If it is good looking fake fur than it looks too real and I don't want anyone thinking I would wear fur. x(

[flamingyouth]

3. What concerns me more

Is a report I saw on CNN about how so-called "fake" fur from China is actually real fur from cats, dogs and other animals in some instances because it's cheaper. :cry:

I have some fake-fur trimmed items and they are clearly fake (they even have an acrylic smell). I look at them the same way I look at pleather - does it contribute to the social acceptability of leather and thus keep the leather trade going? I'm not so sure. But I think this is a good discussion. :hi:

[peacebuzzard]

5. I deliberated at length before I bought a faux fur.

And believe me, I did not want to . This was dead winter January 2005 New York City and all I had was a thinsulate (guaranteed to be thermal wear--but not for the 0 degree weather I was in).

A friend of mine drove me to a huge mall in Jersey and he went on to his errands and me to my coat shopping. I looked at every damn coat in many stores. I saw many cheap fur lined, fur trimmed, and the clothing labels were incomplete. Most, correction, all were "Made in China" and were knock-offs on sale, on super sale. I knew what I was looking at. The cat and dog fur industry amid all the squealing chattering grabbing mindless shoppers.

Do you know I could not find anything that was warm enough to support a NY winter complete with walks to metros, buses and waits in outside lines for transportation. So I left the bargain racks, because I had already heard somewhere about the under 150 bucks stipulation to waive the claim of the source of the fur. I braced myself and went into the higher end department stores which were quieter and pricier. The coats were thicker, finished better but many, no most, had fur trims and had better labels, gold embossed stating origins in places like Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and also China. Most coats that were acceptable as far as material wouldn't withstand the frigid deep freeze I would be subjected to. Also, I knew that the Eastern block countries had trade agreements with China to receive the raw materials that would then become manufactured goods in their country.

Finally my choices were narrowed to either a coat made of some kind of fake down--it looked like a bed cover or this faux fur heavy duty and (how I hated this part) Made in China. It was over two hundred bucks and came with all these guarantee labels and I picked at this faux lining and micro inspected it. The reverse of the fake fur was not a pelt it was acrylic and it just looked like a faux for real. I sure hope so. I bought it because I was stuck. I needed to stay warm and I did not have the luxury to shop any further. I had to work the next day. ( I had flown in from the south where the winters are not heavy duty).

I can not tell you how many times I have picked at this lining and repeatedly inspected it. I even looked up the manufacturer online. I have even thought of having it DNA tested just to make sure. I saw the McCartneys/Larry King interview on the fur trade in China. It made me sick.
I did not want the damn fake faux fur. But I feel the same about wool. My choices were tough and I certainly tried to make a careful decision.

It was not easy.

P.S. Just want to throw this in. I really suffer if I have to buy anything from China because of the animal rights violations that country ruthlessly exercises. So this was a very dramatic emotional purchase for me. Whenever I wore that coat I was never comfortable about it even though I gave it my best inspection on the nature of the source materials. I hate and I detest the fur traders and that whole stinking industry.

[Ilsa]

6. About 15 years ago I bought one, and here's the story...

I lived in Dallas at that time, a single woman with a pretty nice social life, including the arts, symphony, opera, great dining, etc. My best coat was a cloth, wool-lined khaki trench that really didn't cut it. Even though I wasn't into PETA or vegetarianism, there was no way I would buy a real fur coat, especially for show.

But I did find a gorgeous black faux fur coat that was very well made, and rather expensive. I think it was made in Western Europe. I bought it, have been able to keep warm in it, and have enjoyed it with no guilt. I have no problem telling anyone that it is fake, just to let them know I do not condone the killing of animals for my comfort and pleasure.

Down here in South Texas, I haven't really needed it except on about three occasions.

[CrispyQ]

7. I sport a "Fur Is Dead" button on my faux fur coat.

Before I got the button a woman called me out on my coat & told me I was supporting a cruel & inhumane industry. I informed her it was faux fur & that her wool coat had more cruelty in it. Lot's of people don't think about the cruelty in a wool or down coat but are outraged by a fur coat.

Wearing faux fur does not send a message of acceptability at all. In fact, quite the opposite. It's a great way to educate people that you can be fashionable AND compassionate.

[Coventina]

8. I think you are on to something here

Brilliant idea!

Everyone who wears faux fur should sport buttons that say "Fur Is Dead" or "This is Faux" or "Don't Kill It - Faux It!" etc.

That way, it gets the message across while making the alternative "safe".
I would totally do that if I had a faux. Since I live in the desert, it hasn't been an issue for me. Heck, you don't even need woolen items here.

[peacebuzzard]

9. love this idea!!!

I will search for my button ...... great answer...!!!!!:loveya: :loveya:

[flvegan]

10. Had I the cash, I'd start a company called

FAUX or FO (with the line above the "o") or FEAU. Something that upon saying it aloud would bring understanding.
All my fake furs, as beautiful and soft and lovely would have this large label (as many clothing items do) that just says FAUX (or one of the others). When someone told me I was nothing more than a diva for wearing fur, I'd say, "it's a faux/fo/feau" not only conveying the idea of it being fake, but also very much in style.

Man...marketing might've been my thing.

[peacebuzzard]

11. How about a "live" fur coat?

this is funny. video No cruelty at all... works for everyone....
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2127/my_new_coat/