In Portland where I currently reside, fur is definitely not in. Don't get me wrong – a lot of people still like wearing fur jackets. Nevertheless, the political climate is such that it makes it difficult for them to get away with it. They are liable to be smeared with fake blood. This is why my store has decided to sell exclusively faux fur coats. We like to present the image of the faux fur coat as a way to enjoy luxury without cruelty, but of course our main interest in it is the fact that it can make us a lot of money.
The problem is that the faux fur coat has gotten so good in recent years that it can be difficult to tell from real fur. There has been such a demand for fake furs that it has really driven the industry to produce a better quality product. Not only are there faux fur coats nowadays, but there is faux fur bedding as well. It has even caught on in normal winter gear. Jackets with faux fur collars are all the rage. People who would normally not be caught dead in anything resembling an animal product will actually have fur-lined collars.
The problem is that many of my clients, wearing their cruelty free faux fur coat, will be accosted by activists who don't even know that it is fake. A trained eye, of course, can still spot the difference between the fake and the real, but most of these activists have anything but trained eyes. I have met several people so far whose faux fur coats have been ruined by paint splattered by protesters. Because of this, there has been pressure to produce synthetic furs that look less, not more real. The newest style in the faux fur coat looks 20 years outdated! It is so obviously fake that no one would mistake it for the real deal. This is exactly the point.
If you're thinking about buying a faux fur coat, you really should take your environment into consideration. It is alright to be fashionable, but is it worth being attacked? Professionally, of course, I think the faux fur coat is a great thing. I love furs as much as anyone, and I love the luxury of being able to have cheaply made, synthetic ones which do not harm animals. Nevertheless, I would not want to be seen in public with a faux fur coat that looks too real.
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