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It’s probably a generational thing too. I am old enough to remember associating a fur with my mother or grandmother, all dressed up to go out for the evening, and the smell of their perfume. As a child, someone wearing a fur was special, not at all negative. Isn’t it more respectful to the animal to use a vintage fur coat to keep a person warm than throw it away?
It can also be argued that using the fur of an animal is recycling a natural resource, which is more respectful than burying it or burning it.
Fur can be respected because of its functional or traditional value (I don't mean fashion tradition, I mean survival/subsistence/skill tradition...some fur provides better warmth and protection than almost anything else). Bison robes for native tribes. Wolverine pelts on parka hoods (the hair doesn't freeze to your face in sub zero temperatures). Seal pelts for footwear and outer clothing because it sheds water, etc. Many people here in AK revere their fur garments and pass them through the generations because they are symbols of their ancestral heritage and lifestyle and because making use of natural resources preserves them through proper management. These aren't fur farm animals, they had an independent free ranging life. These folks don't take furs lightly or disrespect the animals at all. Of course there will always be individual people who don't have a clue about that and wear pelts for the wrong reason.
I probably wouldn't buy or wear a new fur coat because there's no functional need for it, but I do have several hats made from salvaged/recycled coat collars. Gives the animal several more lives. As in so many things it all comes down to intentions. Deciding to wear fur just because it is in fashion, because you think it makes you part of some exclusive set with more money than you need, because some fashion label flaunts it on a runway is different.
Last edited by Parnassia; 10-23-2020 at 02:39 PM..
I'd never wear fur; nor would I wear leather or any other animal-sourced materials. I have two gorgeous faux fur coats, but I rarely wear them because I think furs/faux furs make women of a certain age look older.
I understand that some vegetarians rationalize the wearing of vintage furs because "what's done is done", but (1) unless a fur is made-to-order, "what's done is done" applies to all ready-wear fur pieces (what does it matter if the animals were killed for their fur 50 years ago or last week?), and (2) it perpetuates the idea of fur as acceptable fashion, when the goal of veganism/vegetarianism is to promote the idea of fur as unacceptably cruel.
If you have two gorgeous faux fur coats, wear them! Please accept your age and wear what you want. If not now, when?
That old expression "I'm gonna skin you alive!" (A bit brutal but spoken in jest by parents & grandparents of yore) That's why I don't like the fur trade, for the most part. China uses cats.
Don't forget, all you vegans, NO FEATHER PRODUCTS.
I'm a meat eater. The post from Alaska was great.
The Bible says the first shedding of blood was the animals God killed to clothe Adam and Eve.
I don't and won't wear fur. My mom had a mink stole, after she died, stepmom absconded with it (divorce). I try not to eat meat either. I guess I don't think much about leather.
My favorite "anti-fur" activism is not throwing red paint on fur coats (PETA) but what Cleveland Amory used to do. He lived in NYC, and when he saw a woman wearing a fur coat, whether he was alone or with someone else, he would walk a few steps behind her and say quite pointedly, "You're right, it DOES make her look fat."
I think it's okay if you live in a cold climate and a warm coat is necessary. I live where it's warm most of the year. I need a coat for maybe two or three months and even then I'd burn up in fur.
I met a mink couch once. It was absolutely amazing to sit on. Other than that, there's not a lot of fur around here, it being Hawaii and all. Too bad minks are nasty vicious critters, they'd be a great pet as far as petting goes, but I dunno if it's possible to domesticate them. Maybe we should breed a small lapdog to be as silky soft as a mink or fox.
There's that Russian fox farm experimenting with inherited temperaments, I think it was, who has friendly foxes. Maybe having a fox pet is the best way to have a fur?
I met a mink couch once. It was absolutely amazing to sit on. Other than that, there's not a lot of fur around here, it being Hawaii and all. Too bad minks are nasty vicious critters, they'd be a great pet as far as petting goes, but I dunno if it's possible to domesticate them.
The Mustelids (mink, weasel, wolverine, skunk, badger, marten, sable, ferret, otter) are all predators not known for their sociability and they can all be pretty fierce. With the exception of otters they tend to be solitary so social skills aren't high on their priority list. Why would they be nice? Obviously some bloodlines of ferrets are now bred for pet quality so its possible. They didn't used to be any more pleasant than the others. They started out being bred for their varmint hunting abilities and some for pelts. If you breed them just for fur quality they're not going to be nice. I owned a ferret many years ago before they became part of the pet trade. Got it from a fur farm that started selecting a bloodline for non-traditional pet quality. He was an interesting, fun little guy but there was definitely a fierce side you didn't want to mess with.
Last edited by Parnassia; 10-24-2020 at 12:52 PM..
I still regret never owning a mouton coat all these years later. They were popular in my teens, but my folks would never have spent that kind of money on clothes for me.
I do not own any fur because I’ve never been willing to spend the money for it. If I were to drop that kind of money, I’d probably want a piece of fine jewelry.
But I know of nothing more luxurious than a mink coat.
When I lived in Vail CO, my first job was working construction for a man who owned a fur store. I went in to the shop one day after oogling a hooded full length Linx coat in the front window for some time. I tried it on but I think they only let me because I’d worked for the owner. Ha! It was the most gorgeous fur I’ve ever seen and the most beautiful thing I’ve ever worn. I think it was $30 or 40 grand back then. Afterwards, however, I realized it was best left on the critter!!
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