Wear or Tear? Furs and Leather

With the rise of the “Rock Star Girlfriend” and “Mob Wife” aesthetic the question of furs and leather is fresh on the public’s mind. As a vintage enthusiast, (as well as a sewist and designer,) the subject of furs and leather comes up in conversation frequently. Is it ethical to wear? Even if it’s vintage? Is it even a question of ethical sourcing or should we just not be sourcing at all?

In our modern world any answer to these questions is going to upset someone. You can’t say it’s okay to wear, because you would be supporting overconsumption and animal cruelty. You can’t say wear vintage, because you would be encouraging the industry to overproduce. And if you boycott it completely there are still millions of cattle being slaughtered everyday with the hides simply being thrown away. Not to mention faux furs and “vegan leather” is just another form of plastic and harms our environment in a different way.

So what is the answer or the alternative?

Leather and furs can be very sustainable and humane if properly sourced! If you’re looking for a real fur or leather hide/garment consider buying from a native owned small business, or local tanner. The majority of small businesses are using the entire animal, (meat, hide, and often even bones!) they’re also very humane in the care of animals being raised for this purpose.

Higher prices can be expected as you’ll be paying for the work put into the garment. The prices you pay have to cover the costs of production and feed the families involved. Overall I find this to be a very fair and ethical exchange and encourage people to shop local whenever possible.

Vintage; wear or tear?

What comes to my mind is the wear and tear. If properly cared for a fur coat or leather jacket can last a hundred years! Not a bad investment even if you buy a sixty year old coat. (How long has your puffer-jacket held up?)

The question is how sustainable is it really? Very sustainable! Reusing / rewearing vintage coats keeps them circulating in the markets and helps eliminate the need for new ones to be produced. (The fur coat economy, if you will.)

But won’t the industry overproduce to create “dead stock”? Put yourself in the company’s position, would you continue to produce an item no one’s buying? I wouldn’t, and the companies who would aren’t making the quality that will last long enough to become vintage -and they know it.

What about faux furs and “vegan leather”?

Brushing aside all the more obvious reasons for avoiding fast fashion, what’s wrong with their products?  The quickest answer: Plastic.

To achieve “vegan leather” and faux furs  a blend of plant-based content and polyester is used. Polyester is a man made fabric and technically a form of plastic. Though I have nothing against the use of polyester in reasonable quantities,(I use it myself in production for TBB.) fast fashion is noted for its overproduction.

Of course, there are other alternatives that don’t bring fast fashion into the picture. Designers like Stella McCartney use recycled polyester in their process keeping with their promise of staying green.

Though I’m a huge fan of Stella, and other sustainable designers, most of their products are out of financial reach.  If you want to avoid wearing animals at all, the best solution I can give you is thrifting. Just keep in mind you’re looking for quality, the vintage faux jacket could last nearly as long as a real one, where as the faux vest from Rue21 will likely be losing hair after two or three wears.

Hopefully you found some helpful tips in this article. No matter where you decide to shop for your furs and leather, (or swear off it completely.) may you always feel fabulous in your own style!    

                           ~Coco Elouise Marie