Furs

[Annalai]

Hi all,

When I have been looking at pictures from the 40s a furcoat or a shawl made of fur is very common but how common was it? Did even the "poor" women wear fur and how is it today? Do a fur belong in your vintage wardrobe and do you wear it? I recently got a little mink jacket from my aunt but somehow it feels wrong to use it even if it is old.
I also have some old Swedish fashion magazines autumn numbers from the 1946 and 1947 and they are filled with pictures of woman wearing furs.

Annalai

 

[Lauren]

Furs were one of THE status symbols of the past. Upper and middle class women generally would have wanted one, and lower class women dreamed of them. Animal rights didn't have the stance that they do today, so women probably weren't that educated in it. I don't really know that much on the history of furs. But that's what I've gathered from the old movies and the vintage photographs, both of middle class women and society dames. In some of the pictures you can tell it's a new fur because they're beaming a mile wide.

I have quite a few furs, but they are all vintage. I figure if they were killed 60 years ago, there's not much I could have done to save them anyhow. And it's really not fair of me to talk against buying fur if I buy leather too (which I do). If you're uncomoratable in fur, maybe try to have something made up in a good faux fur. Designer Stella McCartney uses faux fur, as does Chloe, where she was a designer for a while. While I don't reccomend buying it ($$$$), that shows how it's becoming accepted for appearance by those who won't wear the real thing.

 

[BixChix26]

I have three vintage furs -- 2 '20s, one '40s -- and the downside is the skins become brittle and no furrier will touch them, not only for restoration, but even for storage. Sucks!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

It is true that furs were very popular at that time, and also that they didn't carry the stigma they hold now. However, faux furs were available as well--most notably, faux seal and Persian lamb. The quality is not quite as fine as the real thing (not quite as rich or soft), but they still pass inspection easily. I have an early 1940s, faux seal coat that is so luxurious--I love it!

I own several fur trimmed garments from the 1930s-40s, and I have no qualms wearing them. The animals died long before I was even born, and to me, it would be more of waste to simply toss these items just because they are fur. Interestingly, I have only every received complements from others—no rude comments about wearing fur as of yet. However, I do have a couple of good one-liner comebacks, should the situation ever arise.

 

[MissTayva]

I have a few vintage furs... two of them are the cutest little mink stoles, complete with in-tact little guys on it! ;-)
The tail of one goes in the mouth of another.
I also have period faux furs, as well. I wear those more, as the other ones are just way too brittle.
Not related (well, sort of), but I have a '40s purse made from an armadillo. It has the cutest little jewels (think '40s studded western belts) for eyes. It's an odd piece, to say the least... but like everyone else pointed out, the animals were killed far beyond my time. I too think it's a waste just to pitch them out. Especially when they make one look so glamourous

 

[swinggal]

I agree the animals died before our time, but I still won't wear them. You also have to remember too that at the time, people were not as aware of the cruel practices that took place even then when farming these animals for their products. People were truly in the dark and a little naive. Once these things were made more public in the 50's, many women no longer wore real furs.

Anyway, each to their own, but fur is not for me, whether it's old or new.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

What exactly is the difference between wearing fur and wearing leather?

 

[swinggal]

This is not something I want to get into here. Put it this way, I was a vegetarian for 10 years and animal activist. I didn't wear leather during this time either. The thought of using animals for luxury items such as fur irks me to the core.

Lets just leave it at that. If these ladies want to wear fur they can. A question was asked about fur and I answered it. Just because I don't agree doesn't mean I have to justify why. I am just having an opinion.

 

[Dismuke]

What exactly is the difference between wearing fur and wearing leather?

And eating beef, pork, chicken or fish for that matter as well.

There is absolutely wrong with killing and eating animals and using their skins. The animals kill each other all the time - and they are far less "humane" in the way they go about it than we are.

 

[Zach R.]

I just want to point out that the original poster of this thread only asked how prevalant furs were, not whether it is ethical or not.

I doubt they want their thread to turn into a debate.

 

[swinggal]

Does a fur belong in your vintage wardrobe and do you wear it?

I answered the question about myself and my own feelings. I'm not interested in debating.

 

[Deleted member 259]

I have a retro faux fur coat and a short cloak, both of which I love. It's impossible to tell if they are real or not without a burn test. Luxurious would be the perfect word.

As for the ethical stance, With the ability to create faux fur that is very realistic, I don't see why real fur coats should continue to be manufactured. I don't have a problem with others buying or wearing vintage fur, and I've been tempted a few times, but I prefer faux. 100% guilt-free and no Maitnence required.
Yet I do wear leather, and I don't think twice about it - I guess it's the cute-and-fuzzy factor that gets me.


Lauren Henline answered the original question very well. Fur Coats were very common among those that could afford them. They were also a very visible symbol of status.

 

[Angelicious]

What exactly is the difference between wearing fur and wearing leather?

I'm not into debating this either, but would like to briefly mention that three differences between fur and leather are:

1) Fur is usually an end-product; leather is usually a by-product.

2) Cows are in no danger of being hunted to extinction.

3) Many countries that farm fur apparently have few laws on ethical treatment of animals; presumably people who care source their leather from countries that treat cows etc. nicely.

There's also, as someone said, the cute'n'fluffy aspect.

That said, I'm happy to wear fur if it is vintage or pest-sourced and caught/cured by a reputable local source (go possum!). I have yet to find a faux fur that didn't feel like nylon to me, but I'm picky like that (SID). Those few faux furs that feel tolerable (not realistic) are way out of my price range.

I used to have a nice vintage fur wrap (fox I think?), but it is with a bunch of stuff I'm unlikely to get back from overseas.

 

[shamus]

Some fur that is used as actual coats to keep people warm and not a style statement are completely necessary.

Take for instance coyote fur, it is one of the only furs that don't collect ice from moisture... i.e.: that's why the parka's hood is lined on the outside with coyote fur.

On a side note: old catalogs of fur will show the Asian dog fur (I think that's what they called it).. basically chows and such dogs. With all the pets they kill each year, well why don't they just make them from the dogs and cats? And don't say that's mean because the "humane society" just killed them because there are too many of them...

 

[Deleted member 259]

well why don't they just make them from the dogs and cats? And don't say that's mean because the "humane society" just killed them because there are too many of them...

Fur coats that are made for fashion (not function) are worn as a symbol of social status. "wearing one's wealth" so to say. Some furs are more luxurious and sought after than others, rare exotics like cheetah and leopard make up the elite and then mink and sable, for instance. Domestic animals would, undoubtably, be at the bottom of the list.