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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').

 

 


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