Issue: CC107
22nd August 2022

The vintage fur debate

Is it ok to wear it?

All artwork by CC

I don’t see the problem with it. The animal died so long ago, it would be a waste to throw it away.

No. Absolutely not. It maintains the worth of fur and continues to maintain the idea it’s fashionable which pushes a market for new fur.

Well, I think vintage fur is alright in a vintage setting. Not to be worn everyday.

I don’t care how old it is, it is still gross. How can anyone walk around with a fox’s head dangling over their shoulder? It’s barbaric.

Historically made items of fur should be worn, used and appreciated in the use, context, acceptance and understanding of the time of when and what they were made for.

Real fur has always been a shameful display of status. It’s not like they didn’t know it was wrong back then – Saks Fifth Avenue was picketed in the 60s!

Exactly. They’ve had faux fur for a hundred years now – they didn’t need to wear real fur then and we don’t need to wear it now.

I could buy new fake fur but think of all the petrol and resources that uses – surely it makes more sense to wear vintage?

Wearing and loving vintage fur, taking care of it, shows more respect to the animal than throwing it out. It’s not the same as buying new.

But the woman walking past you in the street doesn’t know it is vintage so how does that work?

Cruel isn’t cute! And cute is better than convincing – I like Teddy bear ‘fur’ coats – fun and cosy and won’t be mistaken for the real thing. They had them in the 1920s, didn’t they?

Really good faux fur looks so real I don’t see the difference between wearing that or wearing vintage.

If vintage fur has value then people are more likely to pay for a new piece. You have to remove all fur from the market to remove the value of it.

If vintage fur disappeared you’d only add to the demand for new fur.

In fifty years the fur that’s made new now will also be classed as vintage. Where does the cycle end?

Not wearing fur doesn’t mean wasting it. You can donate fur to an animal shelter to keep orphaned babies warm, or send it to PETA, who give them to homeless people.
www.peta.org.uk/action/donate-fur-peta/