Frequently Asked Questions About Fur Fashions
Q - My lifestyle is pretty casual. Why would I be interested in a fur coat?
A - Fur coats aren't just for special occasions. Today's fur fashions reflect tremendous variety in design and spirit. While full-length sables might fit some people's everyday needs, others might opt for a colorful sheared beaver bomber jacket, a fur-lined leather biker jacket or even a knee-length shearling fur duffel coat. Take a look around Fur Online's Web site for all the possibilities.
Q - Which furs are farm-raised and which come from the wild?
A - The vast majority of fur coats sold today come from animals raised on farms. In the United States, the figure is about eighty percent. Those coats are made of fox or mink -- by far the best-selling fur. In addition, chinchilla, fitch, finnraccoon and nutria are raised in smaller numbers. The most popular wild animals used for fur coats are beaver, raccoon, muskrat, coyote, fox, nutria, lynx, fisher and even some mink.
Q - Isn't it more humane to wear furs that are farm-raised?
A - Just as the choice to wear fur garments is a personal one, people sometimes have strong feelings about whether to wear farm-raised or wild-caught furs.
Mink and foxes have been raised on farms since the turn of the century. Scandinavian countries produce the bulk of the world's farmed fur animals. Farms in several other countries raise fox and mink, and the U.S. is recognized for producing the finest quality mink in the world. Mink and fox have been called the world's best cared-for domestic animals, because any mistreatment would show up immediately on their pelts, devaluing them. Mink farmers have adopted codes of humane care that include regular visits by veterinarians.
Trapping furbearing animals is a wildlife conservation tool. In the U.S. and Canada, which produce the bulk of the international commercial fur trade's wild furs, the practice is exercised by government-licensed trappers and controlled by scientists. In Canada, indigenous humans living off the land still trap as part of their ancient heritage. Management of certain species will always be essential in a world where humans interact with wildlife habit. Shrinking habitat due to human expansion is the biggest threat to most wild animals today. In fact, while hunting and trapping might be considered to be a threat to wild animal species, hunters and trappers actually provide the money -- through licensing fees -- used by government agencies to analyze and maintain those populations.
Living in finite habitats, wildlife populations left unmanaged frequently overpopulate. The results: they suffer starvation or become diseased (Mother Nature manages populations by spreading rabies, mange and other not-so-pretty afflictions); they infringe on human needs (damaging infrastructures, flooding roads, wandering into urban areas, sometimes dangerously coming into contact with small children); and even destroy their very own habitats (in Louisiana, overpopulated nutria are eating away valuable wetland areas). Therefore, man must intervene. Even when fur has no commercial value, trappers are sent to work, in some cases at taxpayer expense.
Q - Does the fur trade use endangered species?
A - Not at all! No reputable furrier sells garments made from endangered species. It is illegal. Poaching does continue in some parts of the world, but this is shameful and not condoned by any respectable furrier. The CITES Convention (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is a world-wide body which determines which animals are endangered or threatened and then regulates their trade. Many of these animals cannot be imported, so they cannot even be obtained legally for sale. Others are strictly covered by quota schemes.
Q - I'd like to sell an old leopard coat that I got in the 1960s. What's the best way to go about it?
A - Don't even think about it. You may not sell it. Trade in endangered species is illegal, and most governments -- including the United States -- take it very seriously. On several occasions, innocent consumers have offered such used coats for sale in newspaper ads, only to find federal authorities show up at their doors. Serious penalties are applicable.
Q - Is shearling a fur?
A - Most definitely, shearling is fur. Shearling coats are made of animal pelts. They are not made of wool backed with another material, but of the entire sheep or lamb skin.
Q - How much money should I spend on a good fur coat?
A - Research! Research! Research! Full-length mink coats can range in price from $1,999 to $39,000, and upward for very special items. So unless you already have a family furrier whom you trust with a considerable amount of money, start investigating long before you plan to purchase. Visit every fur salon you can find in your local area. Compare prices and ask questions about quality. The retail fur business is extremely competitive and can offer some excellent bargains. It also might not. If you think a deal is too good to be true, it probably is.
The most general rule: get the best quality for your money, even if that means purchasing a better-quality less-expensive type of fur. For example, opt for an excellent-quality sheared beaver instead of just a fair-quality mink. This usually means you'll purchase better skins and workmanship, the most important building blocks for a fur coat. Still, a multitude of variables determine the value of a garment, including the quality of its pelts, craftsmanship, design, number of pelts used, its label, dressing and dying processes, and even the furrier's location (due to varying rents and other overhead).
Q - I love fur but I also care about animals. Should I donate money to my local humane society?
A - Many fur-wearers love animals. Their hearts go out to abused and abandoned pets, and they'd like to help with the disturbing problem of overburdened animal shelters. The two desires are not mutually exclusive. Of course, do what you can to promote spay/neuter programs and take other steps to participate in your community. When donating money or time, however, learn about the organization that is the object of your charity. It could very well be fighting to take away your right to choose to wear a fur garment.
Animal rights groups like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and the Humane Society of the United States might have impressive-sounding names, but they have little interaction with animals. They do not run animal shelters. Their goal is to raise money so they can promote their extreme viewpoints and brainwash the public. They call it "education," as if they're the only people willing to tell the truth. The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has a long history of caring for pets but also fights against freedom of choice to wear fur.
Always be aware that the true animal rights philosophy also wants to take away your right to own a pet. "Pet ownership is an absolutely abysmal situation brought on by human manipulation," said Ingrid Newkirk, founder of PETA. "...Eventually companion animals would be phased out, and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship, enjoyment at a distance." For more on the animal rights agenda, read it in the words of its leaders in "Quotes."
Q - Should I be comfortable wearing fur?
A - Fur garments and accessories are beautiful as well as practical. On a cold day, nothing is as warm, lightweight and fashionable as fur.
Q - Is fur politically correct?
A - Most people these days are fed up with the dogma that is political correctness. Still, distinguish between its well-meaning original goals and its current, extremist-generated, twisted form. Animal rights activists equate the rights of rodents and chickens with the rights of women and many ethnic groups of people. This is odious to caring humans who strive to achieve a sensitivity to cultural differences, about which political correctness was meant to be. By definition, it sought inclusion, not intolerance. But it was twisted by fanatics. Animal rights activists -- a group of people advocating a specific social agenda, represent a small minority of the world's population. Yet, like some religions, they continue to attempt to impose their viewpoints on society. This does not represent tolerance toward varying cultures but instead fascism. Witness only the attempt at genocide of Canada's native cultures, which are targets of animal rights activists because they live in harmony with the land and trap furbearing animals.
Q - Should I be afraid to wear fur on the streets of New York City?
A - If animal rights fanatics have accomplished anything regarding the fur industr y, they have successfully infiltrated the American public's consciousness with an insidious propaganda. Through fear and intimidation, they coerced furs off the streets of New York by threatening to destroy valuable property. The truth is, occasions of paint being spattered on coats are more fiction than fact. Not one retailer in the entire New York area has reported cleaning a painted coat in the past seven years.
Q - But wearing furs isn't popular anymore, is it?
A - In the United States, fur garments are more popular now -- during the winter of 1995/96 -- than they have been in almost ten years. Their popularity can be measured both by retail sales and by how many people actually wear their furs. November and December retail sales increased for most stores between twenty and forty percent over the same months last year. This is a huge jump, especially given generally weak results for the rest of the retail sector during the busy holiday shopping season. According to major media reports, overall retail sales in December were the worst in five years, with a measly two percent growth rate. As for people wearing their furs again, just look around. In the New York City area, probably ten times the number of fur coats have been spotted on the streets as there were last year. It's as if the colder winter this year has given women an excuse to take their coats out of storage again.
Q - Have fur sales been affected by the animal rights movement?
A - It is no secret that, between 1987 and 1991, the sale of fur garments in the United States fell almost in half. Animal rights groups are quick to take credit for this crash; however, when looking at the big picture, including factors such as weather, lifestyle and economic changes during that time period, the serious and unbiased observer would be skeptical of this claim.
Unadjusted for inflation, retail fur sales tripled during the previous ten years. In 1977, retail sales amounted to $612,500,000. They rose steadily until 1987, when they hit an unprecedented $1,800,000,000 ($1.8 billion). Therefore, the question of why fur sales dropped should logically correspond with the question of why they experienced such growth in the '80s. It's no secret that, during that time period, Americans experienced prosperity. And they celebrated it. Baby boomers became ideal fur consumers due to their their age, their growing confidence in the economy and their earning potential, plus their eagerness to spend money on luxury products.
Also shooting fur sales through the roof in the '80s was the influx of women into the workforce with greater earning power. The "dress for success" winter uniform quickly became a conservative suit, high heels and a mink coat. This was reflected in a major shift in fur buying patterns. Instead of relying on the men in their lives to give them fur coats for anniversaries, birthdays or other special occasions, women were out buying for themselves. Companies like the Fur Vault also made mink coats affordable for women who wouldn't consider themselves traditionally wealthy fur consumers.
As the '90s dawned, the Reagan era became viewed by some with disdain as the epitome of materialism. Baby boomers already had fur coats in their closets (remember that a good quality mink coat can be worn for many years if it receives proper care). Those who were still making as much money as they did in the '80s began redirecting their disposable income toward children and private schools, both of which became priorities above luxury products. Fur sales dropped accordingly.
When viewed in a wider historical and sociological context, it becomes obvious that the drop in U.S. fur sales cannot be attributed in major portion to protests against fur. Remember attacks against fur during the late-60s/early-70s flower power era? Many of those young college protesters went on to be some of the fur industry's best customers during the '80s. The same trend could take place again. In 1992 and 1993, the sale of fur garments increased about 10% each year. In 1994, record warm temperatures devastated all outerwear sales. Actually, fur sales fared better than wool coat sales in '94, say retail analysts. Comprehensive results aren't in yet for the 1995 calendar year, but a sampling of several stores indicates the industry should experience more growth.