Real fur, thoughts?

I believe it's all relative.

Often the very same "social justice warriors" from my old high school who love to call me out for my vintage fur finds (and mink handed down from my great grandmother) are the very same girls drunkenly binging on Taco Bell beef and ordering clothes from fast fashion websites where child slaves likely lost fingers working 14 hour days in factories.

I only eat local, never buy fast fashion or products tested on animals, am a member of Amnesty, volunteer every Sunday, I've worked for two non profit organizations, and I enjoy the hell out of my luxuriously fluffy coats on a cold NYC winter day. I pick my battles.
 
  • Love
  • Like
  • Agree
Reactions: 15 users
This thread got me thinking about ermine. It is a fur typically reflective of royalty. The animal is all white, save for a black tail, creating the distinctive pattern. Has anyone ever been in the presence of ermine? Touched it? I feel like SG may have a few members who have. Sadly, the closest I have come, is paintings in the Louvre.

JosephineBonepart.jpg

Lovely Josephine, Empress of France
 
  • Love
Reactions: 1 user
In my opinion, the fur industry is cruel.

The concept of fur is similar to that of leather and meat, thus I can understand why it doesn't faze most people. What bothers me are the methods and conditions the animals are kept in.

Agreed . . . this is why I try - *tryyyyy* to make sure that any meat that I eat is organic/humanely raised. But at the same time, I'm totally guilty of buying conventional meal/dairy when money is tight. I'm definitely guilty of supporting animal cruelty. I used to be a vegan, but it wasn't good for my health (I already have digestive/health issues, and unfortunately it just made me very, very sick); after I went back to eating meat and animal products, for the longest time, I still wanted to cry out of the guilt I felt for doing so. But in the end, as @Artemis so eloquently said earlier (woman, you are tremendously well-spoken), taking and killing is kind of the only way to survive, even if you ARE a vegan/vegetarian.

For me, it's like this: while I personally probably wouldn't buy a real, recently-made fur coat/shawl/whatever, I cannot say for certain that I wouldn't. And anyways, I think that it's wrong for people to pass judgement on others. I have never - and would never - open my mouth to condemn someone who chose to do so, because everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

If you want to buy a fur, you buy it, and rock the shit out of it. ;)
 
  • Love
  • Agree
Reactions: 3 users
Not to offend anyone, but first and foremost I find fur to be absolutely horrible looking and I always associate it with rich Russian "wifes" strolling through Vienna's inner city and a lifestyle that absolutely disgusts me (that consequently comprises fake fur, too).

That being said, if one is ok with eating animal products and wearing leather, then it's kind of weird to be totally against fur because of ethical reasons. I think some people believe it's chic to call themselves animal lovers and underline that with being against fur. I mean it's pretty easy to avoid and can be replaced by fake fur relatively authentically, while leather is almost everywhere and eating meat is hard to give up for most people.

A red line for me are skins of animals that are threatened to become extinct. I get that rarity might make something more attractive, but is it really necessary to contribute to the extinction of a rare species just to serve one's vanity?

I was just reading this post and wondering whether I'm the only person who feels like fur looks really tacky :D

I think many omnivores are against fur because it's viewed as an unnecessary luxury, whereas meat and leather etc are viewed as a necessity. Of course, neither is necessary nowadays, so it's a bit nonsensical to be against fur but eat meat, but people can be like that lol
 
  • Agree
Reactions: 1 users
Absolutely love fur. I have coats, scarves, drapes, booties, vests etc..
I used to joke that I can't wear a piece of clothing until something had to die for it.
I used to be extremely opposed to fur but I think it was just a rationalisation from when I couldn't afford it.
It's so warm and gorgeous. Plus the right pieces can take something conservative and bestow some sophistication.
 
  • Dislike
Reactions: 1 user
Personally I think that in the end a well made, quality fur that you can wear for your whole life and even pass down through generations is significantly more humane and better for the environment than 'fast fashion' that's thrown away after a few wears.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: 5 users
I personally don't eat meat or animal products for ethical reason and I try to avoid using animals for the same reasons as well
 
  • Love
Reactions: 1 user
I adore my vintage furs passed down to me. As far as I'm concerned, it's far better to care and wear for generations.
If you do go for new, please buy nutria. If sourced from the US, it's preserving the fragile Atchafalaya bayou system, and the animals have been trapped, not farmed.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: 1 user
It's 2017, why the fuck are we still using animals for any reason? Like it's just unnecessary, selfish and ignorant at this point now
 
  • Disagree
  • Agree
  • Love
Reactions: 9 users
... like honestly even if it *feels* very mean and as though fur is hurting animals does it actually hurt ecosystems/habitats/species diversity/ecological sustainability more than fast fashion?

:bs:

This is literally just ignoring all of the posts until now. Okay, so because it's 2017 it's a reasonable expectation that we overturn the entire global economy so that no animals are ever used for any *nasty evil* purpose (even to contribute to the survival of humans)? :wtf:

Just one example is that I don't love trophy hunting and *feel* disgusted by it but it arguably is very helpful in some parts of Africa for them to help preserve wildlife
 
  • Agree
  • Love
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
*grew up on humane animal farm*

Our herd would not even exist (each individual animal), would not have been bred, born, given safe pasture, and veterinary care for years, if they did not provide a value to my family and local community. It can be a symbiotic relationship. If you think a wild coyote has a better life than a domestic dog, you've never seen one--they skinny and covered in mange. (I'm tempted to dump my personal collection of coyote pictures.)

It may be [insert current year] but we still haven't managed find a way to create something from nothing. The animals eat each other, sometimes they even kill each other for sexual power and status. Animals like goats and pigs deforest naturally. Plants choke each other out. Forests have to be cut down to grow soy beans (a short stubby bush) for your tofu and vegan processed foods. Blah, blah Mufasa speech, circle of life.

If you are concerned with your environmental impact, be a conscious consumer, know exactly where your food (and clothing!!) comes from and what resources are required for production. I stopped drinking almond milk.
 
  • Love
  • Like
  • Agree
Reactions: 7 users
*grew up on humane animal farm*

Our herd would not even exist (each individual animal), would not have been bred, born, given safe pasture, and veterinary care for years, if they did not provide a value to my family and local community. It can be a symbiotic relationship. If you think a wild coyote has a better life than a domestic dog, you've never seen one--they skinny and covered in mange. (I'm tempted to dump my personal collection of coyote pictures.)

I don't want to fight at all but just want to give a different perspective. I also grew up on a farm and never felt comfortable with (my grand/parents) breeding livestock. There is just something very inherently cruel to me to decide about every aspect of another being's life. I also think that it's a very daring assumption that animals "should be glad because they get food etc." because they wouldn't even exist (and therefore, not suffer) if farmers wouldn't breed them. Of course, an animal is probalby not able to have such complex thoughts, but I personally would prefer not to exist than to live in a prison my whole life.
That being said, I also believe that morals are relative and not absolute, and I totally respect and understand if others don't feel the way I do.

It may be [insert current year] but we still haven't managed find a way to create something from nothing. The animals eat each other, sometimes they even kill each other for sexual power and status. Animals like goats and pigs deforest naturally. Plants choke each other out. Forests have to be cut down to grow soy beans (a short stubby bush) for your tofu and vegan processed foods. Blah, blah Mufasa speech, circle of life.

Maybe animals kill each other - because they need to, or just for fun, or for sexual power. That doesn't mean that we as humans need to do it. We can totally live without breeding animals, that's a fact. There are a lot of arguments which say that our planet would profit from it, too. If they are entirely valid, I don't know, because the world is a complex place not made for easy solutions. But most of these arguments at least make some sense.

If you are concerned with your environmental impact, be a conscious consumer, know exactly where your food (and clothing!!) comes from and what resources are required for production. I stopped drinking almond milk.

Here I totally agree with you. Not eating/wearing animals is not the magical solution and even if you're vegan, you need to think further if you really care about humans, animals and the planet. I like that you brought the example of almond milk

However, fur is usually just a very unnecessarily cruel product. Not in all instances, and there are certainly clothes entirely "vegan" by definition which have caused a lot more harm. As you said, the best way to consume is to ask and find out where a product comes from and what the production process looks like. Only if you care of course.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 1 users
It's 2017, why the fuck are we still using animals for any reason? Like it's just unnecessary, selfish and ignorant at this point now
You're right. We should really all just go nude. Maybe fatties will eat less too bc they'll be self conscious. Less food = less waste. Win win win :slutboobs: :slutboobs: :slutboobs:
 
  • Love
Reactions: 2 users
We can totally live without breeding animals, that's a fact. There are a lot of arguments which say that our planet would profit from it, too. If they are entirely valid, I don't know, because the world is a complex place not made for easy solutions. But most of these arguments at least make some sense.

I'd really like to see some, if you or others aren't too busy. I'll amend my stance if there's a better way. I was a vegetarian for 10 years and a vegan for one and had to come to an omnivourous conclusion, with my doctor. It went something like: if you want to continue eating that way for ethical reasons, rather, humans do not have the right to use animals in any way no matter how benevolent or malicious, you are sacrificing your health. So then you get into that weird discussion of the hierarchy of life--is my life less, more, or equal to that of an animal's? I prefer to just be respectful and only take what I need (from humane sources with environmental impact in mind) and nothing more.

Also, I just want to thank you for writing all of your thoughts out and not resorting to name-calling or weird, erratic and insulting outbursts

:inluv:
 
  • Agree
  • Love
Reactions: 1 users