Real fur vs fake fur: which is worse, and do we really need either?

As more and more brands ban fur from their shelves, it seems faux fur – made from plastic – is gaining traction. But more plastic is the last thing our planet needs

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Designer and fashion entrepreneur Yoyo Cao wears faux fur by Stella McCartney. Photo: Alamy

Published: 7:30am, 1 Nov 2019Updated: 3:58pm, 5 Nov 2019

When California’s fur banmade headlines last month, my first thought was, “Oh no! More fake fur!” Faux fur is made of plastic, and with worrying levels of microplastics found in our water, food and air, the last thing we need is a reason to produce more. But dead furry animals elicit a more emotional response than plastic-strangled oceans. So what constitutes truly ethical fashion?

Some of the biggest fashion houses have made the popular decision to join the anti-fur cause. Since 2015, brands such as Burberry, Chanel, Gucci, Ralph Lauren and Tom Ford have pledged to stop using fur. Last month, American retailer Macy’s announced plans to stop selling fur in its 680-plus stores by 2021.

Fur farming has an abominable reputation, thanks in part to secret videos exposing inhumane practices such as animals being skinned alive, electrocution and gassing. Toxic chemicals are often applied to stop the pelts from decomposing. Fur farming is banned in many countries, including Austria, Belgium, Britain and the Czech Republic. The world’s largest producer of fur products is China, which has shockingly few animal welfare protections and no penalties for cruelty.

California will halt the sale and manufacture of new fur products by 2023. Exemptions include leather, cowhide and shearling, as well as fur used for religious reasons, used fur and taxidermy. Dead cows, apparently, are fine. Dead chinchillas? Sheer barbarism! (Some would feel better if the rest of the animal were also used for, say, a nice stew. Others just blanched at the thought.)

An anti-fur protest during London Fashion Week in February last year. Picture: Alamy

My mother wore fur in the 1980s. I never liked the pet-like feel of it (or the extra padding it gives to my already padded, short body). I assumed it was a generational divide and that fur sales would go down. In fact, according to Euromonitor International, sales of fur clothing, accessories and home furnishings reached US$531 million in the United States alone last year, a 17-year high. And Americans are not even the biggest buyers in the world. Global sales reached US$30 billion in 2017, with the big spenders in China, Russia and Europe.