Many years ago, when our ancestors were still living in caves, fur was an imperative possession if one was to survive the winter. However, since man has modernised and fantastical materials such as – gasp – faux fur have come into wide usage, fur has become somewhat irrelevant. In my opinion, that is. Fur is a cruel alternative that not only comes at a moral price, but also often cuts a slice out of our bank accounts.
Michael Kors
Indeed, have a look at this fur gilet courtesy of Michael Kors at Harrods – on sale for the ghastly price of £2,175.00. Your bank account and the poor animals sacrificed to create this gilet would no doubt breathe a sigh of relief if you were to instead pick this similar gilet, which is faux fur, available from asos.co.uk for the far more attractive price of £100. A thorough look through the website will reveal many more faux fur gilets available at even more convenient prices; but best of all, these faux fur items provide a welcome alternative to the cruel, industrialised process that is the fur industry.
Asos
The truth is, the fashion industry is desperate to hide the awful process that enables items like the fur gilet from Michael Kors to enter our shops. The majority of animals who are killed for the fur industry spend their whole lives on fur farms, places of unimaginable barbarity. These innocent animals spend their entire lives confined inside cramped cages, living in the most awful of conditions. This inhumane treatment often results in these creatures living out their short lives tormented by parasites, disease, fear and stress. Indeed, it has been reported that the strain of being submitted to this appalling treatment has lead minks to self-mutilate and frantically pace and circle. Other animals, such as foxes and raccoons, have been known to cannibalize their cage mates as a result of being driven mad by their confinement. Sociable animals are not meant to live their lives inside a cage, awaiting their sacrifice in order to feed human greed.
Considering the fur industry is worth billions of pounds, there is simply no justifying this horrific treatment. These farms often use the cruellest methods of slaughter in order to spend the least amount of money possible and ensure ultimate profits – spending slightly more to enable a more humane practice would be ludicrous, of course. In order to preserve the quality of the fur, animals are butchered in a way that leaves the pelt intact, but which can cause the animal severe suffering. According to PETA, “Small animals may be crammed into boxes and poisoned with hot, unfiltered engine exhaust from a truck… Larger animals have clamps attached to or rods forced into their mouths and rods are forced into their anuses, and they are painfully electrocuted”. These are just a couple of examples of the immensely painful way in which these poor animals are slaughtered to fill our wardrobes.
Wearing the skin or fur of another being is a horrifying concept to most of us. Luckily, there are many clothing brands out there which sell only vegan products – products that have not been tested on, or contain parts of, any animal. One high-end example of this is Stella McCartney. According to Stella’s website, “We are the world’s first and only vegetarian luxury brand. We do not think that any animal should give their life for the sake of fashion.” This wonderful company helps to highlights the many problems associated with using fur and other animal products, and is proud to not use any leather, skins, fur or feathers in their fashionable pieces. This admirable stance has been taken up by other retailers, if not always to the same degree. Free People has an entire vegan range, featuring beautiful ensembles devoid of any pain or suffering – hopefully other retailers will soon see the need for this too.
Edited by: Sarah Holmes
Sources:
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/fur/
http://www.stellamccartney.com/experience/en/sustainability/responsability/
https://www.freepeople.com/uk/go-vegan/
Image sources:
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/fur/