TOPIC:
Fur Trade Industry Issue
'Faux' versus Real Fur Debate:
There are alternatives....
You are here ~~>
Canines Corner~~>
Topics
~~>
The Fur Trade
Issue ~~>
Fur Industry Debate
Comment:
<<Fur is
warmer, so that's why I wear it!>>
Actually fur is not warmer (see
here), but
if you are really cold and need that extra warmth, look for and
buy 'Polartec Wind Pro' products.
Made from recycled PETE (soda bottles) and post consumer
polyester materials, the fabric is water repellant and offers
more sunscreen protection -- it washes nicer than fleece and is
four times warmer too! Much lighter than wool, 'Polartec
Wind Pro' products dramatically decreases that 'wind chill
factor' which makes us cold. The 'curly' Polartec fabric
looks strikingly like lamb (also known as 'Monkey Pfur' or
'Poodle Pfur'), but is many more times durable.
Source:
Polartec Wind Pro
Source:
Polartec Wind Pro - a revolution in thermal fabrics
Source:
Discovery Trekking Outfitters
Source:
Cabrela's - Women's curly Polartec vest
There are alternatives to wearing real fur - as you can see below
(click on the photos to see closeups of each shot):

(left to right)
1) Ladies poncho I made, 2) outside and inside view,
3) close up of 'faux' fur pile
I lined the poncho with fleece
and it is reversible. Recently I wore it out in 25 degree
weather (just this over top of my jeans and top) - I couldn't
have been any warmer. Not once have I worn this that
someone hasn't stopped me and asked where they could buy one.
It's never been taken for 'faux' fur and when I demonstrate that
it is, I have always received a warm response from the inquirer
concerning my choice.
Besides that, Polartec fabrics
are actually good for the environment! Polartec Patagonia
was the first outdoor manufacturer to use recycled fleece,
introducing it in 1993. From spring 1994 to fall 2005, the
company diverted more than 98 million plastic soda bottles from
landfills; 3,700 2-liter bottles can make 150 Synchilla
garments. For every 3,700 bottles that are recycled, a barrel of
oil is saved and a half ton of toxic air emissions avoided.
Source:
Look Smart Articles : Positively Primal
Good synthetic 'faux' furs are
extremely difficult to tell from the real fur as you can tell
from these photo below. This is a synthetic Artic Fox
poncho I was asked to make for a mid-winter's trip to Yosemite
(choice of style and 'ruggedness' look was requested by wearer).
Worn over top of a wool shirt and thermal T-shirt, he said
afterwards the only thing that was cold was the body parts not
covered by the synthetic fleece! By the way, the 'stick'
he's holding is a walking stick with bells to alert bears he's
in the area... the 'feathers' are 'faux' as well as the leather
strapping and beads (beard and long hair are real human 'fur').

|