The Vintage Fur Thread

[KittyT]

I think fur, whether vintage or no, is inhumane and unethical. It doesn't matter if the fur is 5 years old or 50, by wearing it, you support fur as a fashionable item of conspicuous consumption, which indirectly supports the modern fur industry.

I agree that there's an interesting dichotomy when it comes to wearing fur and wearing leather. I do wear leather, but I certainly do not go out of my way to purchase items that are leather over items that are not. I thought long and hard about this, and because leather is a by-product (most of the time) with many of the other animal parts being used for other things, I find it less wasteful. However, that doesn't mean that it's really any less cruel. For the most part, if I wear leather, it's on my feet, and for me there are other concerns that affect this. The primary factor that it is healthier for your feet to wear leather, which will stretch and conform to the shape of your foot. For items like shoes, the material will also affect the longevity of the item. For items like coats, this is just not the case.

 

[kitcatcandy]

In the UK fur is very frowned upon. Over here most people are clued up about the rearing and slaughter practices accociated with fur production, and anyone wearing it is frowned at in the street. Fur farming is illegal in the UK.

Its only seen worn rarely, on very rich women who don't care about the attitude they get, or very rich popstars, but they then get slated in the papers also.

Vintage or new gets the same reaction, and a lot of chain stores over here will refuse to stock any fur.

Here are a few fur facts: -

Persian Lamb = the skin of a lamb killed just after its born or as a foetus in the womb. The ewes have 4 lambs, on the 4th pregnancy the ewe is slaughtered and the foetus killed and skinned.

Slaughter = to protect the state of the pelts farmed animals are killed by genital or anal elecrotution, suffocation or poisining. Oftten methods are innefective and animals are skinned alive.

Fur is not 'green' = fur processing and curing (to stop them going off) uses tonnes of chemicals and energy, to rear and process a fur takes 60 times more energy than a synthetic material.

Wool = wool sheep have been bred with lots of very wrinky skin to increase wool per sheep. This wrinkly skin around the bottom collects sheep poo and maggots can eat the sheep alove. To prevent this two strips of skin are remoned from the sheeps back legs, while they are concious.

Cat and Dog fur = this is a major problem, it is flooding the market and being sold as other furs, its hard to spot. Animals are collected of the street, stolen or bought from poor families. They are pets. Keeps and slaughtered in appauling conditions. It is deliberatly mislabeled to be sold to europe and the USA.

More facts for those with the stomach here: http://www.furisdead.com/facts.asp

I would NEVER wear fur, just touching one makes me think of the pain and suffering those animals went through.

I'm not vegetarian, but all the meat i but is free range and naturaly Factory farming is despicable.

If you wouldnt wear the fur of your own pet dog or cat, why is any other fur acceptable?

Off my soap box now!

 

[KittyT]

One of the concerns I'm seeing here is that the animal should not have died in vain and a belief that it's just as tragic for one to throw away fur.

For those of you who have fur you want to get rid of, it CAN be put to good use without throwing it away. GIVE IT BACK TO THE ANIMALS! You can donate fur, in any condition, to your local animal shelter or to the humane society, where it can be recycled into comforting bedding for homeless animals or rehabilitated wildlife. To me, this is a much nobler use for old furs than to have it sit in your closet 9 months out of the year.

To read more about the Coats For Cubs campaign, visit http://www.hsus.org/furfree/campaigns/c4c/

Remember, racism is historic too, but that doesn't mean we should preserve it.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

One of the concerns I'm seeing here is that the animal should not have died in vain and a belief that it's just as tragic for one to throw away fur.

For those of you who have fur you want to get rid of, it CAN be put to good use without throwing it away. GIVE IT BACK TO THE ANIMALS! You can donate fur, in any condition, to your local animal shelter or to the humane society, where it can be recycled into comforting bedding for homeless animals or rehabilitated wildlife.

To read more about the Coats For Cubs campaign, visit http://www.hsus.org/furfree/campaigns/c4c/

Remember, racism is historic too, but that doesn't mean we should preserve it.

OMG! From that link:

 

[Lady Day]

Okay, Im confused.

So using leather from animals killed for their meat bones,etc. is 'better' or 'more ethical' than killing them for fur first, then the other stuff second?

I feel that in our human world we are so detached from the sacrifice animals give to us, no matter how they are used, that we see them as a comodity be it leather, fur, wool or silk.

So wouldnt the conscious effort be to find the origin of said products and support companies who treat the animals (that are commodities weather we like it or not) as living creatures and give them a decent life before they give theirs for our need? Wouldnt that be bucking the system?

Thats why I dont eat meat/dairy or wear leather (Im working on the wool part ).

Or perhaps killing the animals ourselves would give a better insight to what is going on in that world.

But to polarize one part of the spectrum (fur) and admit openly to justifying another (leather) is just silly.

LD

 

[KittyT]

So using leather from animals killed for their meat bones,etc. is 'better' or 'more ethical' than killing them for fur first, then the other stuff second?

As I understand it, animals killed for their fur are killed only for their fur. Are there by-products that come from fox, mink, or beaver that I'm not aware of? As far as I'm aware, their meat isn't being consumed for food, and the other parts of their bodies aren't being used either. I believe there is a difference.

But to polarize one part of the spectrum (fur) and admit openly to justifying another (leather) is just silly.

I'm not saying that I believe leather or meat to be completely ethical either. I do not go out of my way to buy leather and usually I prefer to buy synthetic items. That said, there are considerations of durability and practicality that I consider when purchasing leather, that I do not believe apply to fur. For example, I can buy a winter coat that will keep me warm, without having to resort to fur. I have not found a synthetic leather pair of shoes that will fit me as well or last as long as a real pair. These are the types of considerations that lead me to choose one as more acceptable than the other (note: I didn't say "acceptable" but "more acceptable"). And though I eat meat, a personal choice that I have carefully considered, I DO go out of my way to choose vegetarian options first and to not support the factory farming industry.

 

[gluegungeisha]

Eh...I think a lot of the facts presented in that Fur is Dead site are pretty accurate; however, I've always been very skeptical about PETA's stuff.

Please note that this is coming from a girl who has been a strict vegetarian for a decade, a vegan for part of that time, and a volunteer for animal rights groups and shelters for several years. Aside from group work, I've individually helped rehabilitate and train abused racehorses. I'm no expert by any means, but I've spent a good amount of time observing different organizations and how they operate for many years. It's important to know who and what you're supporting.

I think the people running PETA have the best intentions, but in getting their message across to a large audience that is difficult to persuade, I believe a lot of facts are very exaggerated. This is not to say that their facts don't have an accurate foundation, but their information is so biased that I always feel the need to check the facts from other sources. Unfortunately, the fur issue is so polarized that you really can't get the facts about its production from a neutral party.

I completely respect PETA's efforts, but I wish they would at least make an effort to balance out their material more, in order to reach out to a broader audience. I wish they would acknowledge that not all meat companies practice factory farming, that several small farms give their milk cows exercise, grazing land and no hormones or antibiotics, etc. etc. etc...Options! A good portion of the population is not willing to completely cut out animal products from their lives, but it is obvious that a lot of people are still concerned about issues surrounding animal cruelty, social justice and the environment.

 

[Honey Doll]

How about these instead... all of the lux look, without the guilt...

http://www.coquettefauxfurriers.com/marilyn.htm

Honey Doll

 

[gluegungeisha]

How about these instead... all of the lux look, without the guilt...

http://www.coquettefauxfurriers.com/marilyn.htm

Honey Doll

These are cute!!

 

[klara]

How about these instead... all of the lux look, without the guilt...

http://www.coquettefauxfurriers.com/marilyn.htm

Honey Doll

She makes great stuff. I bought a muff and collar set from her a couple of years ago and I love it.

 

[positivelypinup]

I cant wear fur. I cant even walk into the fur section in the vintage store i shop in.. My body gets all hot and i feel like i'm going to pass out.. especially when i see the animals body parts! AHH!!

 

[Ruby Slippers]

I cant wear fur. I cant even walk into the fur section in the vintage store i shop in.. My body gets all hot and i feel like i'm going to pass out.. especially when i see the animals body parts! AHH!!

I'm the same way. dead skin just skeeves me out! its even worse when their little feet are dangling from someone's shoulder.

 

[Girl Friday]

My dog wears fur

 

[Lady Day]

Yeah, her own


LD

 

[Lesvinyl]

I wear vintage fur on occasion.

 

[Miss Brill]

fur

I bought a vintage 1970's Regency Cashmere-Saks Fifth Avenue coat about 10 years ago & it has a HUGE red fox collar & I took it off and have never worn it. I've worn the coat every winter, and get a ton of compliments on it--but I won't wear the collar even if it is vintage. I still have the collar, I won't sell it for someone else to wear, and I won't throw it away, it mostly hangs with my bags on the back of the closet door. I haven't bought any new leather pieces in years, because most of my stuff comes from thrifting. I do have one rule: If I don't eat it, I don't wear it. I'm not a vegan or anything, I'm not rich enough to buy vegetables all the time.

 

[olive bleu]

What do you ladies think of fur?

Forgive me if there is already a thread on this topic, just wondering about the wearing of vintage fur coats and accessories...not so much your thoughts on it , but on the reaction from others. I would not buy a brand new fur coat these days, but i have an old fur hat that an aunt gave me when she moved to Trinidad that i have been trying to work up the nerve to wear.Have you ever worn fur and been confronted? how have you dealt with it?

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Housekeeping note

There are several threads on this already.

Merging your post in with them.

 

[olive bleu]

Thanks a bunch..this is what i was looking for..I thought it was around here someplace.

 

[Miss Brill]

I think being told off for wearing fur only happens in certain areas. I don't think it happens outside bigger cities. I've only seen one woman wearing a fur in the past 20 years, or so. She was an elderly woman in Nashville, and no one said anything to her about it, including myself, I figured since she was old she was of another generation & wouldn't see things my way, because she didn't grow up in the past 30 years. They have furriers in Tennessee, but I never see anyone wearing any fur. I do see girls wearing the "fun" fakes, the ones that don't look the least bit real.