Vegan Forum

As a vegan and AR person, I'm wondering how people feel (who are also vegan/AR) regarding fake fur. I have two beautiful, new, OBVIOUSLY fake fur coats, which I really haven't had occasion to wear yet. I would never, ever buy real fur but my thinking, when I bought them, was remembering very old ads (sponsored by Mary Tyler Moore and others) which suggested that wealthy people who buy furs should be encourged to buy fake furs.

I'm not wealthy, but I can afford nice coats. These are obviously polyester coats, and look nothing like real fur, and yet they are beautiful, warm and soft.

I'm wondering what the general consensus is on this issue, in the Vegan/AR community?

TIA

My view, not sure how general it is, relates to the idea that fake is better than real, howver encouraging this form of fashion where it is just the look rather than the practical is in some way supporting of it. Again this is just my view.
I would rather see fur, fake or not, discouraged as a fashion, except in the instance where survival of cold for example may be the issue, in which case I would encourage only fake if it turns out ciliary protection favours other forms of synthetics.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with fake fur - the faker the better. Think of it as an homage to the animal - celebrating the animal's beauty without having to own it.
I guess this is similar to the question of eating meat-flavored vegan food - tofu dogs and boca burgers for example. Again, I personally don't see any problem with it.

mtnwmn wrote:Personally, I don't see anything wrong with fake fur - the faker the better. Think of it as an homage to the animal - celebrating the animal's beauty without having to own it.

That makes sense, I've never thought of it that way... I don't like the look of fur coats personally, but I have a jacket that has a fake fur trim on it.

I collect ball-jointed dolls, and I have a couple fake fur wigs. I purchased them through second hand swaps, and they are really cool. The fur is easy to style without any product; just shape it with your fingers. I know mine are all acrylic based furs, but one of my friends (not vegan) has a wig made out of Tibetan wool. It's not as soft, doesn't hold shape and feels oily to the touch. It just sits on her doll's head, and it's pretty sad.

I am not fan of fake fur for myself, though. I did just buy a pair of faux suede, Sherpa lined LL Bean slippers second hand though. Ah, heaven! :]

I'm obviously against the wearing of real fur. I don't think it's a big deal to wear fake, but I have heard comments that fake encourages people to feel that fur is okay, so it's best to forget about it altogether. No idea if it's true, but an interesting point.

One view is about perception. It could look as though you're wearing real fur to some casual observers even if they are obviously fake which could (although very unlikely) lead them to believe it's ok to wear fur or perhaps even make them want to buy real fur. Personally (and I'm vegan) I don't care if your fake fur is identical to the real thing because it's not. Btw I have a pair of boots that look identical to real leather but I'm happy to point out that they aren't to anyone that cares to enquire. I say wear the fake fur and enjoy it

^indeed.

I have a vegan friend who wears pre owned leather. By buying it at thrift shops, he isn't buying into the leather/meat industry.

I do know of vegans who won't wear fake fur nor eat vegan meat analogues because they feel guilty doing so. Bah! That kind of guilt is foolish, really. Plus such people are often sanctimonious and self righteous. I also knew of a vegan who had moved her college residence because she couldn't stand the smell of flesh cooking in the nearby dining commons. Hey, I'll be honest and say that I love the smell of chared flesh!!!

I think a few people have stated this in a peripheral sense, but it seems that a primary concern is that by wearing fake fur, some might feel that you are reaffirming the image of fur or the value of fur (whether it is fake or not). This kind of reminds me of discussions on reappropriation of terms such as the N-word or the word 'slut'-- whether by giving something new value by placing it in the hands of others helps eliminate the value of the original word (or in this case, object) in question or whether it further gives fuel for the metaphorical fire that gives the word (again, in this case, object) significance. Eventually, it comes down to how you feel about it and whether you make a point to proudly tell people that it is fake if they may ask. While the concern that it might give new strength to a dying fur industry (if people start wearing fake fur, and others assume it is real and that they'd like to own it because it looks good), one cannot let the proberbial enemy's actions dictate their own.

Animal fur always looks better on the animal it came from than the human wearing it--granted there are very beautiful people who wear fur--but they still don't come close to the original owner of the fur.
i don't like faux fur because it is made from chemicals and never feels anything like real fur. Synthetics always have kind of a slimy feel to them as far as I'm concerned. I guess humans just need to get the picture that fur--real or synthetic is not necessarily our best look.

too easy to go wrong here, my strictest point of view only. the faker the better, but i myself can't get beyond it myself. like i don't want some wannabe thinking i am greenlighting the entire fur idea. still easy to go wrong, sometimes i throw up. sorry if that was crude or rude, but that's how it began for me.

[quote="snog"]^indeed.

"I have a vegan friend who wears pre owned leather. By buying it at thrift shops, he isn't buying into the leather/meat industry."

I wear pre owned leather too, also from thrift stores only. Part of the reason is that I am trying to be more environmental too, also I like leather and this is a way of not supporting the 'new leather' industry.

I use fake fur, I really don't see a problem in doing so. It's synthetic, no animal was harmed, I don't feel guilty about it.