More consumers warm up to faux fur

Technology makes it hard for to discern between faux and the real McCoy
SCRIPPS HOWARD
From coyote and rabbit to leopard and chinchilla, fur fashions are surging in popularity.
But not everybody is wrapping themselves in the real thing. Even as sales of authentic fur increase, so does the number of fashionistas who are opting to go faux.
Some people wear fake fur because they have a moral problem with the use of real fur. Others choose the artificial options because they cost less. And thanks to technological advances, synthetic fur looks, feels and lasts more than ever like genuine fur.
"They've certainly turned the corner on appearance," said Donna Salyers, founder and owner of Fabulous-Furs based in Covington, Ky. "They've come around with the touch, and you can't tell the difference. It's just very, very soft."
Fake fur has definitely come a long way. Compared to just a decade ago, it's harder now for even the trained eye to discern between faux and the real McCoy. Fake fur hairs, usually acrylic, are being made longer for greater warmth.
Real fur can be exposed to higher temperatures without suffering damage. It's also more durable than fake fur, but cannot be machine washed like many fake fur pieces.
Salyers' line of man-made furs has become so popular that it is now available at some Nordstroms, as well as online. She recently sent a full-length white faux mink coat to Queen Silvia of Sweden. A wardrobe of Fabulous-Furs coats was ordered for a scene on "CSI" featuring Faye Dunaway, and two weeks ago three coats were ordered for use on "The Sopranos."
"If Hollywood does it, that makes it OK for the rest of us," said Salyers.
She may have a point. More celebrities are talking about the fake furs they wear -- some even renouncing real fur -- such as Martha Stewart, Charlize Theron and Tommy Lee. Their influence is felt in the public realm.
Even as more American fashion designers incorporate fur in their collections -- usually to stunning effect -- some are going fur-free. Betsey Johnson, Marc Bouwer, Stella McCartney and Todd Oldham use only fake fur, and J. Crew recently joined that camp.
Grisly methods
Some have made the switch after learning of grisly methods used to separate animals from their precious pelts. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals gladly takes credit for the largest impact, often winning converts with its graphic litany of stomach-turning harvest methods used in the fur industry.
It was such information that led Salyers to start Fabulous-Furs 17 years ago. On a trip to New York, she noticed that many women were wearing full-length fur coats. So she made a fake fur coat, which admirers thought was real. She decided to buy a real fur coat, but on her way to do so she heard radio commentator Paul Harvey describing how kittens were being skinned at a toy factory to make teddy bears. She decided to start a business selling kits to make faux fur fashions, and that evolved into a company that manufactures faux fur.
PETA spokesperson Brandi Valladolid said her group isn't worried that wearing faux fur will tempt someone to want to try the real thing.
School days
But PETA won't be happy until every fur is fake. The organization recently was at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York showing students a video about a recent investigation into the dog and cat fur trade. Bouwer, who recently was awarded a humanitarian award by PETA for his nonuse of fur and leather, gave a primer on how to sew and use artificial fur.
In the current U.S. economy, range of choice, along with more affordable pricing, appear to give faux fur the short-term edge. While a full-length mink coat can range from $3,600 to $7,000 on average, a Fabulous-Furs look-alike fake is $499. And an imitation chinchilla stroller (fingertip-length coat) that costs $199 at Fabulous-Furs could easily top $10,000 made from real pelts.