Fur - fake or real?

It's mid-winter and here in the Northern hemisphere fur coats are big business. It's too sweeping a statement to say most women own something fur, but the magazines would lead us to believe that's the case. Personally, I own a few fur pieces, both real and fake, but when you add fur trims on jackets, gloves, fur lined boots, scarves and pom-poms, then it amounts to a fair bit. 







Outfit details - trousers: H&M, boots: Office, fur coat: vintage, rings: charity shopped.

A few years ago my husband and I were fortunate enough to go on holiday to Venice. It was early February and the temperature had dropped to minus 9 degrees making headline news as it was cold enough for the Grand Canal to start to freeze over which hadn't happened in almost 100 years. I'd packed a duvet coat and fleecy hat to keep me warm, but they didn't. European women wear real fur when it's cold. They have no qualms about that. Given the severity of the weather, I soon came to understand why. Nothing man-made can keep you warm in these kinds of temperatures, or at least not without making you look like the Michelin man from head to toe. The bitter, icy wind blew across the canals causing chills in every nook and cranny. One of our walks took us along a tiny canal where I came across a vintage boutique. In the window was this beautiful red fox fur coat. The jacket is second hand, an important point for me, and it wasn't long before I had succumbed to its charms. I wore it for the rest of the holiday, warm, toasty warm in fact, and feeling as glamorous as I ever have.

Fast forward to last autumn when I bought this fake fur jacket. Its ombre tones called to me when I was rooting about one of the charity shops in Truro.


As consumers I'm sure we all like to understand the impact our purchases have on the environment and it's for that reason that I'm a huge advocate of thrift/charity shopping wherever and whenever I can. Previously I might have admitted to feeling a bit uncomfortable about owning a real fox fur jacket, but strangely not in the least bit awkward about wearing suede boots or pony skin shoes or carrying an ostrich hide handbag, and I fancy I'm not the only one who suffers from this odd kind of logic. Fake fur obviously carried none of the guilt that real fur might. My viewpoint has recently been changed thanks to new information. 

At the end of October I read an article in the Daily Mail by Zoe Brennan titled "The faux fur timebomb". She cites various facts, such as the ten barrels of oil it takes to make a fake fur coat, and that non-renewable plastics are used to make fake fur, and that when washed they in turn release an average of 1900 tiny particles of plastic that end up in our seas. This comes in the wake of the microbead scandal that hit the news in 2016 alerting us to the fact that our face washes and scrubs contained these ocean polluting beads of plastic. These microbeads are now being found in some sea creatures, one step away from entering the food chain. Ms Brennan's most revealing fact is that when you and I throw out our fake fur coats, they will end up alongside all other plastic waste in a landfill side and that it will take our coats 1000 years to biodegrade. Shocking isn't it? I had no idea, did you? Real fur on the other hand biodegrades naturally within 6 months. (I realise we're mixing ethics with environmental issues here and that's complex.)

The anti-fur lobby have omitted to tell us these facts. We may not want to buy mink as a result of what we've learnt about mink farms, but equally we surely don't want to have a massive carbon footprint thanks to this throw-away fashion. Another worrying fact is that the production of fake fur uses enormous amounts of energy and produces greenhouse gasses, ionising radiation and noxious chemical by-products, many of which cause cancer. Buy fur responsibly maybe ought to be the message here.

I write this for the same reason I write everything in my blog: to share my story. This is not a call to arms, a request to boycott or indeed an article intended to make us all feel bad. Remember, I'm in no position to judge. I'm sorry that this doesn't make for comfortable reading. But turning a blind eye to anything that challenges our comfort zone isn't protecting the future of our planet. Fun fur will not be much fun for our descendants to deal with. I now wear both my real and fake fur with a genuine awareness of their implications. I said my viewpoint has changed, and here's how - I now prefer the honesty of wearing my real fox fur coat. If someone wants to knock me for that, then fine. And much as I will continue to wear my fake fur, I'm no longer deluded that it's the better thing to do.

I'll finish with a quote from Orsola de Castro, of Fashion Revolution, a campaign for ethics in the fashion industry. She states "The use of real fur (in fashion) is, of course, deplorable, but faux fur is not the answer. It comes with an incredibly heavy carbon footprint, it doesn't biodegrade and the cheap examples are often produced in unregulated factories, with all the concerns that brings over sweatshop conditions, poor pay and child labour." She urges us to "Look for alternative textures, such as luxurious knits. Most people simply don't realise how bad faux fur is. They think of it as a "good" moral alternative to real fur, without realising the damage it is doing."


Linking with 
Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb
Cherie of Style Nudge

Anna x

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56 comments

  1. This is so interesting Anna... and thought provoking.
    We can all be hypocrites can't we?
    I only know one true vegetarian person who does not eat meat or wear any leather.
    She often struggles with the synthetic options availible...hating the environment impact as well as the ethics of manufacture.
    She finds it almost impossible to buy anything of decent quality that is also fashionable.
    A real nightmare.
    I am all for recycling and would much rather wear vintage real fur than modern fake.
    However,
    Real fur does attract lots of attention and none of it good.
    But a real fur pom pom causes no such reaction.
    We need to wake up to the reality!
    XXX
    Samantha
    www.fakefabulous.com

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    1. Thanks for your comments Sam. I struggled with this post for days and days, trying to get the balance right. There is a huge debate here, but I wanted to speak from a point of understanding without apportioning blame to either side. There is no easy answer to this massive problem and it's just going to grow and grow as women continue to buy and buy...
      Anna x

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  2. Very thoughtful and educational post, Anna. Fur is not as big an issue here in the warm climate, but I did not know the negative environmental impact of fake fur. Nearly all my outerwear is thrifted, and I know you endorse recycling as well. And you look glorious. xox

    Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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    1. Thank you for dropping by Patti and lending an ear. You are lucky to be outside of this problem. Thrifting definitely makes me feel I'm doing my bit, but I wonder if it's enough.
      Wishing you a lovely week x
      Anna

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  3. You raise some really important points.
    I own a vintage rabbit fur coat (and a scarf and cuffs) but I would eat rabbit so I don't feel totally awful about owning them. I have so many anxieties about our environmental footprint and this is what I have heard about fake leather shoes and plastic- they take 1000 years to degrade- which is terrible!!!! It is a difficult thing really.
    Your coat looks lovely (and yes,my rabbit fur was bought for my old church becauyse the heating was awful and NOTHING else helped!

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    1. Dearest Kezzie, it is indeed a difficult subject, with no simple answer. I worry about the future and what we are storing up for our families to deal with in hundreds of years time.
      Sorry for not visiting you lately. Will pop over this evening x
      Anna

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  4. Excellent post and you have definitely educated me about faux fur - I didn't know its environmental impact. I recently took a closeup photo of my leather glove by mistake and it truly looked like flesh, like real skin. And I realized, it IS skin torn off a cow. I eat the cow so it's okay? Does chewing its flesh make it okay to wear its skin? Sorry, it's a bit graphic but it's a raw issue, so to speak.

    I have complex rules myself for real fur. Only vintage fur or fur given to me as a gift - does it make sense? No. And I've had new ostrich skin boots. ???!!! I've seen so many absolutely beautiful real fur hats this season too. But it's easier not to buy one if I think of a little critter than it is to think of faux fur's plastic issues.

    Now I am thoroughly confused. Vancouver has a very militant anti-fur lobby and I just noticed a designer store open with almost all fur products. I'm wondering what will happen. Excellent, thought-provoking post. Your coat looks great, both of them!

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    1. Melanie, I think we are all thoroughly confused. There are the ethics of eating and wearing dead animals on one hand, and the resources used to make fake fur along with the resulting mountain of discarded pieces on the other. We make rules for ourselves so that we can live without too much guilt - I'm just the same as you, but everyone has different yardsticks by which to measure what's acceptable and what's not.
      I wonder if anti-fur campaigners will one day join forces to include all kinds of fur? I think that would satisfy Orsola de Castro.
      I'm glad we're all thinking and talking about this.
      Anna x

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  5. Great post, Anna! I'm glad that you looked into the environmental aspects of faux fur creation (which also apply to faux leather). As a second-hand-first shopper, I've seen what happens to fake fur/pleather after time: it goes all goopy and sticky! I always find it hypocritical that people won't wear fur (although I agree: if new, it better be responsibly obtained, and if second-hand, vintage is the way to go), but will happily wear leather and not even blink.

    My town used to have multiple furriers/fur stores when I was younger; now there is nothing. I see so many vintage furs for $20+ in thrift stores. I hope that the next gen will give these some love. There is really no need to buy it new when there is so much out there now!

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    1. Sheila, your last sentence says it all - there really IS no need to buy new when there's so much out there, more than enough to go round! Maybe need to educate the young fashionistas to recyle and discover the joys of vintage fur?
      Thanks for joining in with your thoughts x
      Anna

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  6. Both interesting and thought provoking, I had no idea of fake fur's environmental impact. Although I have no real fur pieces, this is not because I wouldn't wear it, I wear leather and for me it is the same thing. I have a couple of faux fur hats which I'm feeling rather guilty about now!
    Have to say that your real fur looks fabulous and I guess the risk of being spat at or abused on your islands is minimal compared to that in a mainland town.

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    1. I'm glad we've stuck up this dialogue Fiona. I'd like this to be shared so that we could enlighten those who have no idea about the impact this fake fur explosion is going to have in the future.
      I often wish I could wear my real fur when I'm away, but do worry about the kind of reaction I might get. Imagine getting on the subway in NY! Joking apart, this is a very touchy subject, fuelled by guilt for some I'd say.
      Thanks for joining in x
      Anna

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  7. I have to admit, I've never really thought about the fake fur and how it's made! What a great enlightenment.
    I think it really comes down to whatever we wear has some sort of impact. Furs, especially from the older days, were truly functional and smart. Most of us eat animals, so why not wear them. But then there are the times that the process or item gets taken advantage of (not the wording exactly, but do you know what I mean?).
    My mom had a real fur that she gave to me, but I never wore it because the sleeves looked outdated and it was big. So I just removed the sleeves and gave her the vest as her birthday present....you'll see it soon on the blog!
    jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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    1. When you think of Eskimos and other tribes they do just that Jodie - they eat and wear the animals with no waste nor guilt. Where they have little choice, we however do, and that seems to create problems. I see no answer to this debate. That's the worrying thing.
      Thanks for dropping by and leaving your thoughts. Yes, I really owe you a visit and will swing by soon x
      Anna

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  8. Oh dear, Anna, I am now feeling very, very guilty having just bought a faux fur coat in the sales with some Christmas money I had. I had no idea about the faux fur but I'm stuck with it now! It wasn't even my ideal one either, to make matters worse; I opted for second best. Still, now thanks to you I know about faux fur and can tell other people...

    I have been looking for the perfect fur coat for years; I know I will find one and when I do I will no longer worry that it will be real fur.

    You look lovely in both your fur coats!

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    1. Veronica, I'm so sorry you feel guilty. We are all of us pretty dumb about manufacturing practices as well as the end result of man-made fibres. I expect every synthetic sweater/coat/skirt will sit atop that mountainous landfill for hundreds of years too. It's almost like the more you learn, the more you realise how little you do in fact know!
      Real fur does seem to be the lesser of the two evils considering that I already wear lots of products from dead animals already. Why are we squeamish or in denial about this fact?
      We are stuck with our faux fur now - surely we can't chuck ours out now, can we? So, try to enjoy it and if you come across a lovely vintage fur on your charity shop travels then maybe you can buy it without too much guilt.
      Thanks for your comments and compliments x
      Anna

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  9. A very good post Anna. I didn't know this about faux fur. It seems you do something "wrong" whatever you do. Like Kezzie I own a short jacket with rabbit fur on the inside. And I own two fake fur hats. That is it. Living in The Netherlands we are prepaired for bad weather and thermal layers do help. Besides, minus 10 is not happening much here. I am surprised it got that cold in Venice.
    It is a very difficult issue and I have no judgement. I refrain from real fur, also vintage, because I don't want to help reintroducing fur as lovely and all good. Because I am afraid it would increase the demand and kill more animals in a bad way. Also I cannot wear real fur in The Netherlands anyway as I might get spray paint all over it. Which helps a lot in deciding you want to be morally good haha. After reading your fake fur implications I am not buying any more faux fur either. If I hear more of these bad stories (I am sure they are true), I might end up naked. (Am I allowed to make jokes on such serious subjects?)
    Anyway: I do love your fox fur. It is a beautiful coat and as I said: this subject is too difficult. I don't know what is wrong or right.
    Greetje

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    1. Thanks for your input Greetje. Like you, I don't know what is wrong or right. I only wanted to share what I had recently found out and I suppose to put those people straight who have this (misplaced) superiority about wearing fake fur. Fake fur is also the baddie here and if we carry on with more revalations like this, it will be as you say, that we all have to walk around naked!
      I don't know what's right and agree that it's a very difficult subject, but thank you for joining in.
      Anna x

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  10. Very good post about a very, very difficult topic, Anna!

    I own a faux fur scarf and have some faux fur trim on another scarf. After reading this post, I won't be adding any more (even though I was very intrigued by a pink faux fur scarf...). I know I'll own both faux fur pieces for many, many years (and after reading this post I'll take extra good care to extend their lives...). I think one of the problems with faux fur is that it is relatively cheap, fun, and is therefore consumed in large quantities, without too much thought and may end up in a landfill in a season or two. And it'll be there for 1000 years... Contrast that with my grandmother's real fur coat. She owned a beautiful fur coat, took exceptional care of it, and wore it proudly. 25 years ago, when she was too weak to go out, she handed it down to my sister who still owns it. The coat is nearly a hundred years old at this point... Personally, I wouldn't want to wear it, but I'm actually glad my sister does. I know this makes no sense whatsoever...

    As someone else mentioned above, I imagine faux leather to also be quite problematic. I do own a faux leather jacket and faux leather leggings. Both items I intend to wear for a long time, but still it makes me think where they'll end up and for how long they'll be around.

    Personally, I try to buy less and less and mainly replace items that need to be retired. I also think second hand stores are a great way to lessen our environmental impact a bit. But still, it's quite disturbing to think about what impact what we wear has on the environment... And, unfortunately, I think there is no "perfect" solution...

    Andrea
    Andrea’s Wellness Notes

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    1. I think you've touched on a really good point here Andrea. The cheap, fake fur is fun and easily affordable, and if we fall out of love with it there's no hardship disposing of something that we didn't have to save up for months to buy. It's this thow-away culture that's creating a huge problem. Our faux leather and faux fur and faux anything else are indeed going to have a massive impact on the environment and yes, it's disturbing.
      The way you describe your grandmother and how she cared for her fur coat is what I feel about my fur - it's something special, valuable beyond the money it cost and I hope it will be worn by my daughter in years to come. I understand this may not be to everyone's taste, but as someone who wears leather I see it as the same.
      There's not going to be a perfect answer, but if we can share this, and get more women to think, to understand the implications of their faux fur then that can only be good. Then at least we can all make an informed choice.
      Thank you for your feedback on this difficult subject x
      Anna

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  11. The resources and methods used to produce virtually all goods and services can likely be called into question and undoubtedly have some level of negative impact on our environment. Sadly, we habitually consume without knowing the facts and we assume that "buying" doesn't have an ethical component regardless of what is being consumed. Clearly we've been blissfully ignorant for too long.
    I'm certainly guilty of impacting the environment through many of the purchases I've made. I'm also capable of changing my behavior because of what I'm learning. I'm always open to learning more. I loved teaching Social Sciences because of just this kind of consciousness raising.
    Thankyou Anna. You did more than just present a topic of discussion. You helped us become wiser and potentially more responsible caretakers of our planet. Fashion feels like such a harmless passion but of course along with much of consumerism, it's not.

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    1. Dear Judy, yes I realise that this just scratches the surface of what is a much bigger problem. It's so easy to abdicate responsibilty for these big issues, but once you know something you can't really hide behind the plea of ignorance.
      If we each pass this information to two friends then the ripples will extend far and wide. Knowledge is power and we can all make better choices with this knowledge.
      Thank you so much for your eloquent response. We are indeed oblivious to so much that goes on in our everyday lives, and that's where blogging has its strength. This ability to connect and pass on information outside of a conventional learning facility is so good for being quick, easy and effective.
      Like you, I love to learn more and know more. We owe it to the next generation to do a sound job as caretakers of our planet. We really can't afford to mess up just through ignorance or laziness - it would be shameful. Change can happen, if we all make it happen.
      Your support is so welcome as always Judy x
      Anna

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  12. Marilee said it correctly...it is not just fur or fake fur. Industries have deliberately ensured we remain ignorant to the ways in which they are destroying the earth. It's the whole of society. We've been taught to buy and then buy some more without thinking about the impact or the resources we are depleting.

    If you drink your water out of a plastic bottle it also takes 450 years to decompose.

    We've been conditioned not to think about environmental impact. To remain blissfully ignorant.

    Funny enough I started caring more about this years ago when another blogger Citizen Rosebud made a comment about an item of clothing I'd bought from Forever 21. That was a wake up call. It stopped me cold and made me think I was part of the problem. Opening my online vintage store and showing other people how to enjoy vintage or secondhand clothing has become a bit of a mission for me now.

    Great thought provoking post!

    bisous
    Suzanne

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    1. Suzanne, you're so right that we are kept in the dark by the big industries, but once the cat is out of the bag we need to keep progressing. Spread the word I say. Thank you for saying about the plastic bottles - again another piece of knowledge for us. Every bit helps.
      We all need a wake up call, but some people are not so ready to accept what they don't want to hear. Yours came, and you stopped to take stock of your actions. Good for you that you're educating others to see the joys in vintage and second-hand clothes. This has to be the way forward.
      I'm so pleased to have such a positive response to this post. Thanks for your comments x
      Anna

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  13. Interesting post Anna highlighting yet another dilemma we all face getting dressed each day.Do we wear fur, real or faux , knowing the implications of our choice to me is a similar choice as to wear fast , disposable fashion produced by workers in factories in poor working conditions. In the end some people care and make educated choices while others care very little of their choices on our planet.
    I worked in a fur and leather boutique in the early 80's and still own and wear items from that time, I guess they can be classed as vintage these days.
    Thankyou Anna for starting this discussion . P.S. I really like you in your red fox.

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    1. Apathy is indeed a difficult thing to conquer Jill. I'm guilty of buying fast fashion and tiring of it, but I always try to sell it on or pack it off to a charity to recylce in some way. Suzanne is right about us being enticed to buy, buy, buy. Shopping is a favourite pastime for me too, but mainly from charity shops which appeals to my recycling mantra.
      Thanks for joining in with the discussion. And hey, I really like me in the red fox too x
      Anna

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  14. Thanks for a thoughtful and informative post. As you say there is no perfect answer. I also read somewhere on the internet recently that there is also an issue with synthetic fabrics, fleeces, poly cotton acrylic etc. All release microfibres when washed that end up in the oceans and make up a large percentage of plastic pollution in the oceans. There is a microfibre catcher being developed that should be available soon that will catch these fibres while the clothes are being washed. http://rozaliaproject.org/stop-microfiber-pollution/

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    1. Thanks Tessa for passing on your bit of useful information too. It's good to know that progess in these areas is being made. It seems if we (industry) create the problems then we need to respond to these problems as quickly and efficiently as possible.
      Anna x

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  15. PS your post made me nostalgic. Many years ago when I was at Uni I bought a second hand rabbit fur coat from another student. I called my bunny coat and wore it a lot. I think I later sold it on to another student. Tessa x

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    1. Cheers for sharing that little bit of nostalgia. I have a similar story where I gave a real fur coat (retrieved from a jumble sale) to a friend as a swap. Sadly the swap never happened. Hey ho!
      Anna x

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  16. Almost everything we do nowadays causes pollution or environmental damage. From heating systems to the plastic bottles of many soft drinks or cars.We could list long.
    To stay on the right side we should keep out of our lives many items we currently use which make our living comfortable and easy.
    We could keep just two or three items in our wardrobe.
    Can we?
    Would then it be the world we would like to live in?
    I am not sure.
    I am not perfect but try to reduce or cut out everything can cause sufference to living beings.
    I don'the wear or buy furs:too much cruelty involved...

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    1. Dan, thank you for your valid comments. I agree with you most of the way here. My only question is - is it just fur that involves cruelty? Why not the meat/fish we eat? Or the leather/suede/crocodile/snakeskin handbags, belts and shoes we wear? How do we, can we know if these are produced without cruelty? I think it's impossible to make any differention between fur or hide of any kind. It all came from a living animal. I don't think you can shun/abhor one and not the others.
      I eat fish and meat and wear dead animals, but am honest in doing so. I'm also in the majority, but that may not make it right either. As Samanatha stated at the start of these comments, Vegans have to contend with the issues of adding to the manmade mountains of clothes and shoes that won't biodegrade. It seems there's really no "right" answer to this ethics/environmental conundrum.
      Anna

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  17. Anna,
    I just realized that in all of this serious discussion I forgot to tell you how much I like the dark floral print jeans you're wearing!
    Also, I paid about $50 to have my grandmother's mink coat cleaned. I plan to turn it into a furnitute throw/blanket. I still have to figure out the logistics of that project!
    This particular fashion topic made for some satisfying and meaningful discussion! Thanks for asking the thought provoking questions Anna!

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    1. I didn't realise that I was going to hit on so many ardent responses with this Judy. It has however been really good to get so many people involved, to hear all of these opinions.
      I'm pleased to hear about your own efforts at recycling and would love to know how you get on with that.
      And thanks so much for your compliments along the way x
      Anna

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  18. Just been reading about Icelandic fish leather which is made from fish skins that were just being thrown out.
    Sorry your swap never happened Anna. I used to swap a lot of clothes with a school friend, I always thought I got a better deal and she thought she got the better deal so win win.
    Xx

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    1. I think I'll have to search for some info about fish leather, it sounds like a great idea. Hopefully, there's a process to remove the smell?
      Clothes swapping does go on with some of the young women here on the island from time to time. This seems like a great recycling idea and keeps it local, so no carbon footprint involved at all.
      Thanks for all of your feedback on this topic x
      Anna

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  19. I enjoyed reading this thought provoking post Anna! It was quite interesting reading about the faux fur and the carbon footprint,what is recyclable and bioderadable, some of these things I was unaware. I am in a warm climate, so I don't come across much real fur, but know have a better understanding of why one would wear such a garment. So true we don't often think of leather, food we eat etc..
    Enjoyed reading my friend!
    jess xx
    www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com

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    1. I think we all live in a bubble, aka our comfort zone and would rather not consider all of the points that have come up in this discussion. We all make choices every day, every time we shop and these choices have an impact whether we're aware of them or not. I have a friend who refuses to buy fruit/veg in packaging and also cycles rather than has a car. He's much more committed to reducing his carbon footprint than most and I admire him hugely for that. Sometimes we just need a bit of a nudge, a little encouragement and we can make small, sound changes too.

      Thanks for your comments Jess, lovely to hear from you.

      Anna x

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  20. I have both fake and real fur. Although I would hesitate and think about how a real fur would be greeted in the streets nowadays.I watched on GMTV not long ago about how brands are selling items classed as fake fur, but wear in fact real fur! Interesting post Anna x
    www.vanityandmestyle.com

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    1. Laurie, this post has had a lot of interesting responses indeed. I missed that piece on GMTV, but that certainly turns the whole argument on its head!
      Thanks for your feedback.

      Wishing you a great week x
      Anna

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  21. So many people have echoed what I feel. I inherited my mother's very loved mink jacket -- she was so proud to have it and wore it to all her important winter events. I look at it with love, but I have been afraid to wear it. I'm still not sure what to do -- I can't sell it or give it away, but I also don't want to look as if I don't care about animal cruelty. At the same time, I eat meat and wear leather. I wish I could find a consistent answer!

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    1. I hear your heartfelt plea Lynn, but am not sure that there is a consistent answer. I realise this is a whole can of worms that I've opened and yet these things do gnaw away at me until I share them. This is all of our problem. Your mother's mink and my fox fur don't make us to blame for animal cruelty. The deed is done, was done a long time ago with these vintage pieces. If anything, it would be a shameful waste to put them out with the trash. Loving them has to be the redeeming feature of the wrong that was done.

      Thank you Lynn for joining in with important dialogue.
      Anna x

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  22. Hey Lynn,
    Honoring your mother's love of her fur is doing something that pleases you in the same way a chicken, fish or beef dinner pleases you. Not every behavior needs to be justified or must become a moral issue.

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    1. Thank you for your insightful addition to this debate Judy. The need to justify my behaviour seems to be ingrained in me and maybe in Lynn too. Scratch the surface and a bubble of guilt will erupt from my soul.

      Anna x

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  23. This is a very difficult subject to cover, but you have done it beautifully. Thank you for sharing this information, I had no idea!
    I am not a massive fan of fur, either real of faux. But I do have the odd piece of faux, which I won't be replacing unless it's via a thrift store.
    Michelle xx

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    1. Thanks for dropping by Michelle.

      One of the joys of blogging is learning and passing on what we've learnt. I'm so pleased to have had this opportunity to share what I've found out, without upsetting too many people. It's made us all stop and think which is great.

      Have a good weekend x
      Anna

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  24. Great post and discussion. So many complexities related to what we wear! I appreciate the information about faux fur. I wear mostly recycled clothing, so I feel good about that. But then there's leather, etc. So much to learn and incorporate into our lives.

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    1. Thanks for Judith for your comments. These are indeed complex issues with no easy resolution I fear. Recycling seems to be the best answer to relieve our conscience, but doesn't solve the avalanche of goods that we globally produce and are in danger of disappearing under.

      I suppose all we can do, each of us, is to be more aware and responsible for our carbon footprint.

      Thanks for taking part x
      Anna

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  25. I must start by saying thank you Anna for being brave enough to write such and article explaining the good of real fur and the not so good carbon footprint of faux fur. Not many want to risk the chance of attack by anti fur folk these days and I comment your bravery. I am a 44 year old male that loves both real fur and leather and yes, I wear both. I live in northern Canada were winters become very cold and on days when the snow is flying and the wind is whistling, you want to be clad in fur. I also craft and make items using furs and exotic leathers so I do understand and can appreciate the uniqueness of some of these materials. I also do a fair bit of research on this subject to defend what I wear and the materials I craft with. I always buy my exotic leathers from CITIES approved suppliers and have even toured a local mink farm to see conditions of the animals and the cages they are kept in. It was a fascinating tour and I came away understanding a lot more and appreciating fur in a whole new aspect. As explained to me, these animals have to be cared for greatly because and unhealthy animal has unhealthy fur and that farmer will get nothing for it in return. Sick animals can also pass disease and quickly wipe out an entire bran of animals causing total loss of huge dollars. Plus these farms in Canada at least are inspected frequently to check on conditions by government employees. It didn't take too much reading to find out that lots of those nasty vids we see online from the anti fur crowd are years old and sometimes even made by those showing them. So before my rant goes on too long, I must say you look amazing and classy in your furs Anna especially that red fox. So buy and wear real furs from trusted local furriers Ladies and enjoy them.

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    1. Hi Andy,
      Thanks for dropping by and taking time to write. It's good to have your input as so many of us ladies don't feel very informed about this whole, confusing subject. I really appreciate your inside information, especially on the subject of mink and their living conditions which is the most prickly issue within whole arguement. The question is all about trust, isn't it? Just because we see a video online that doesn't mean it's a true representation of what's going on in real life. Anything can be edited to say what you want it to.

      Like you, I'm more comfortable with the honesty of wearing real fur, leather and suede and hope that comes across in my post. The carbon footprint of fake fur is too much to come in under the guise of "fun" and I for one, can't justify buying it any longer.

      Thanks again for taking part in the debate. I must admit I knew it was a bit crazy to start this conversation but you've got to have the courage of your convictions don't you?

      Anna

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  26. Hello Anna
    I was re-reading my post and I must apologize for all the grammar and backwards spelling (barn, not “bran”). Anyway, it was my pleasure and almost duty as a leather and fur wearer that also uses both materials to make items. I like to educate myself in such because I always get the questions when selling items that I have made from fur and especially exotic leathers. Hence why I wanted to tour a fur farm and really educate myself and make my own judgment before believing everything I see from the extremists with the signs and videos. Yes by the way, trust as you mentioned is everything. I must say that I left that mink farm wanting more and not less fur that day and who knows, maybe I will add a mink to my fur coat collection someday ;)

    Like yourself Anna, when I pull on a pair of leather pants and put a fur coat over them, they are both real and I don’t feel guilty or ashamed for wearing them. Instead I feel proud and responsible for materials of such that are a renewable source with a less carbon footprint and ones that I have researched for my own peace of mind.

    Yes Anna, you must have “the courage of your convictions” and hat’s off to you again for speaking about this and letting all those involved speak their minds.

    Now get out there Ladies and enjoy your furs guilt free !!

    Andy

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    1. Thanks again Andy. I think your typos were lost with me as the message was more important than the spelling.

      At the end of the day we live in a free society and as such the market place is full of all sorts of goods for all sorts of people. I recently saw Pamela Anderson on Loose Women advertising her latest project which was to explain about her new "green" way of life, but quickly followed on to promote fake fur and how it was the right thing to buy. I genuinely believe she really didn't know how misinformed she was. And that's the thing - it's very difficult to shatter the myth between the real/fake debate.

      You and I can natter away in the background, but it will take some people in high profile positions to start to get the message across. In the meantime we can just keep nibbling away at the problem. And yes, enjoy wearing our real furs too!

      Thanks again for dropping by.
      Anna

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  27. Great post!
    I had no idea how much fake fur affected our environment!

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