Fur clothing

[1] The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific item of clothing such as a coat, wrap, or shawl made from the fur of animals.

Humans wear fur garments to protect them from cold climates and wind chill, but documented evidence of fur as a marker of social status exists as far back as 2,000 years ago with ancient Egyptian royalty and high priests wearing the skins of leopards.

Clothing was made from the hides of animals such as bison, muskox, bear, ground sloth, woolly rhinoceros, mammoth or Irish elk.

[4] Crown proclamations known as "sumptuary legislation" were issued in England[5] limiting the wearing of certain furs to higher social statuses, thereby establishing a cachet based on exclusivity.

Populations of fur-bearing animals decreased in West Europe and began to be imported from the Middle East and Russia.

Design elements including the visuals of the animal were considered acceptable with heads, tails and paws still being kept on the accessories.

With lifestyle changes as a result of developments like indoor heating, the international textile trade affected how fur was distributed around the world.

Newspapers were writing articles on major chemical companies trying to outdo each other in the quest to create the most realistic fake fur.

Other high-end brands to follow this lead are Stella McCartney, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini.

[12] Common animal sources for fur clothing and fur trimmed accessories include fox, mink, rabbit (specifically the rex rabbit), finnraccoon (industry term for tanuki), lynx, bobcat, polecat (called 'fitch'), muskrat, beaver, stoat (ermine), marten, otter, sable, civet, seals, karakul sheep, muskox, caribou, llama, alpaca, skunk, coyote, wolf, chinchilla, opossum, and common brushtail possum.

In the past animals such as leopards, jaguars, tigers, lemurs, and Colobus monkeys were commonly used but CITES laws and the environmental regulation has made these furs illegal.

[15] Most of the fur sold by high fashion retailers globally is from farmed animals such as mink, foxes, and rabbits.

After the carcass is skinned it's then fleshed, dried, salted, pickled, tanned (either by chemical or by natural method), and then softened.

[22] The foremost reason for the exorbitant price of a fur coat is the amount of time it takes to craft the garment.

The first step is the pelt matcher who takes the furs available and matches them based on size and color to create one cohesive garment.

"[27] IFAW, an anti-sealing group, claims that Canada has an "abysmal record of enforcement" of anti-cruelty laws surrounding the hunt.

PETA representative Johanna Fuoss credits social media and email marketing campaigns for helping to mobilize an unprecedented number of animal rights activists.

“This puts a certain pressure on designers who can see that the zeitgeist is moving away from fur.” New technologies and platforms have made it easier than ever for those advocating change to get results.

[30][11][31] The rise of social media has provided the general public with a direct line of communication with companies and a platform for opinions and protests, making it harder for brands to ignore targeted activism.

“Brands are under huge pressure to respond to social media and avoid any controversy,” says Mark Oaten, chief executive of the IFF.

[32] The anti-fur messaging is being amplified by social media and a millennial customer base that is paying closer attention to the values represented by the products they buy.

The feeling of outrage against animal suffering is particularly intense when cats and dogs are involved since these are the most popular pets in Western countries.

When fur farming was first developed in North America it was in response to the dwindling numbers of wild furbearing animals caused by unregulated hunting and trapping.

[40] Following the public awareness of animal welfare abuses in the fur industry, the European Union initiated the WelFur system.

[47] In 2020, the luxury outdoor brand Canada Goose announced it would discontinue the use of new coyote fur on parka trims following protests.

[48] Luxury brands like Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, and Hermès continue to use fur in their designs.

In 2021, Israel was the first government to ban the sale of real fur garments, with the exception of those worn as part of a religious faith.