“I’d rather be naked than wear fur.” A phrase coined by the animal activist group Peta, which chants out feverish dream energy. For thirty years the organization convinced celebrities like Christy Turlington, Khloe Kardashian, and Gillian Anderson to give it up for their anti-fur campaign. In February 2020, nearly three decades later, Peta announced the discontinuation of their famous advertising. “Almost every top designer has shed a feather, California has banned it, Queen Elizabeth II has shed it, Macy’s closed its fur salon, and now, North America’s largest fur auction house has filed for bankruptcy,” Map’s Senior Vice President triumphantly announced. But when one door closes, another opens. While this may be a victory for innocent animal life, faux fur is now wreaking havoc on the environment.
Fur has always been associated as a symbol of wealth and social status, so it’s no surprise that these textiles will reign in one form or another for nearly every generation. By the 1300s, European aristocrats regularly went out in the various materials of their beloved fur coats, robes and accessories, to the point where laws were enacted determining which social class could wear certain types of fur. The popularity of the product increased during the Victorian Era as increased demand led to the creation of fur farms in the 1870s. In the 1950s, accessibility to fur grew as it became more affordable and was considered a form of casual wear. The undoubted direct effect of movie stars wearing luxurious fur on the silver screen as well as their personal lives. That’s when designers started releasing daytime fur looks in their collections. Now, on the streets of the Map.
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Officially formed in the 1980s, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals began their aggressive and public resistance to the product. Taking advantage of the shock factor tradition, runways were raided, red paint and flour bombs were thrown, and nude demonstrations were held. Perhaps it was the protesters verbally abusing or graphic images of the animal slaughter in circulation, but in the early 2000s their message was heard loud and clear. Celebrities and influencers alike announced their official transition to faux fur and the majority of the general public followed suit. This topic even permeates the entertainment industry together Sex and the city including the allusion “fur is murder” in their 2008 revival.
Now in 2021, the fashion industry continues to move towards hair-free. London Fashion Week promised to be hair-free in 2018 and now the entire US state of California will ban fur sales starting in 2023. Designers such as John Galliano, Tom Ford, Gucci, Versace, Burberry, and Giorgio Armani have also pledged their hair free. . But faux fur continues to thrive, with brands like Shrimps, House of Sunny, and Saks Potts catching the eye of a new generation, Gen Z, fur coats have now become a popular new item on social media.
Prada and Gucci’s Fall / Winter 2020 collections set the stage for a fur trim back in style. Liketoknowit.com reveals searches for statement jackets increased 2000% during fashion week. The fun in traditional outerwear has managed to influence the beloved 70s Penny Lane coat as well as the much-held contemporary Danish cool girl aesthetic. But considering how quickly this younger generation cancels plastic straws, why are faux fur jackets an exception? It all boils down to influencer culture and fast fashion. The little gesture of exchanging a plastic straw for paper has an overall small impact on a person’s life. However, making the majority to sacrifice fast mode is no small thing. Fast fashions soon provide cheaper fakes that are worn by their favorite celebrities and allow those on a budget to access current trends. Although this generation cares deeply about sustainability and the environment, for the most part the fun of shopping and expressing their personalities through trends exceeds other barriers.
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While it seems that faux fur is the obvious ethical choice for a growing number of activists and animal lovers, the choice of material over real fur is actually just as bad, if not worse, for the environment. False fur, like vegan leather, is made of synthetic polymer fibers such as acrylic, modacrylic, and polyester (aka the form of plastic) which are spun into yarn. And as many environmental scientists have concluded, plastic products don’t properly break down, break down, or compost. This basically means that every single piece of plastic that has ever been produced is still on earth, including plastics that are embedded in fashion. Then there’s the microfiber problem. Because faux fur is made of synthetic material, it will loosen the plastic fibers when you put them on and wash them. Because these materials are too small to filter in water treatment systems, they end up polluting the earth, oceans and our bodies. It is estimated by the World Economic Forum that microplastics are responsible for 31% of marine plastic pollution. Even scarier, microplastics were discovered for the first time in December in the placenta of unborn babies, the direct cause of the pollution that mothers breathe in.
The ancient controversy over wearing real fur or faux fur is an ethical battle that the world seems unable to decide. While we can all agree that the slaughter of inhuman animals is a practice, we never want to excuse the poisonous pollution of faux fur is a glaring side effect that is hard to ignore. The art of recycling might be our saving grace in this situation. When in doubt, save money. Real fur is a valuable commodity that is often carefully preserved and passed on to future generations. Utilizing thrift stores cut production of real and faux fur clothing and the life cycle of this glamorous coat will continue to be recycled in a different home wardrobe than sitting in the dump. God knows it’s a sin to waste good fashion.
