We have reached a time where unless you are an Eskimo, live in Siberia or have four legs you do not need to wear real fur. Faux fur has finally got good!

How do I know this for sure? Because even the top designers are turning towards faux. This season has seen Georgio Armani, who has always used a lot of real fur, going faux with his £560 long coat and faux was also used by Anna Sui, Jeremy Scott and used very well by a little known but very talented designer called Christian Siriano (see below).

Of course we must not forget the Fantasy Fur collection from Chanel who decided it was belittling to call it ‘faux’ and ‘fantasy’ was much more fitting! I think I agree but let’s stick with faux in this blog in the interests of clarity.

Chanel Fantasy Fur

Just to touch very briefly on leather – if you eat meat, your ethics will probably allow you to wear by-products of that industry including cowhide, lambskin and sheepskin. Most items labelled ponyskin are actually calfskin but check before you buy.  As I mentioned in a previous post on shoes, try to avoid Indian leather as it is poor quality and the process surrounding it is barbaric. The things with leather is that it should always last and generally it should look better with age if it is decent. A leather jacket can be a serious buy which lasts for years, the same with a sherling coat or an expensive leather handbag. Buy classic or iconic pieces which will outlive any trends and last for years like the Balenciaga biker jacket or a Joseph sherling.  Buy less of it to be more ethical and wear it forever. Leather jackets can look absolutely fabulous on older women as can biker boots so they really can be lifetime items.

To find faux fur which doesn’t look cheap there are a number of good designers. Diesel has done a funky colourful take on faux with some amazing coats around the £320 price range and there is a very cool brand called Unreal Fur sold at My Wardrobe.com or http://www.unrealfur.com.au/shop/ which does some fantastic jackets and coats in a range of modacrylic for a lush look very close to fur.  Another excellent brand is Ruby + Ed whose faux is so close to real that they have no fear of calling each item after the animal it is copying with a Wolf Parka and a Bear jacket. See the image below for their jacket worn by Sienna Miller – it’s gorgeous! There is also Helen Moore who sells luxurious faux fur for fashion and home – nothing more snuggly and comforting than a faux fur blanket for the sofa. My dogs even have faux fur cushions in their beds!

Ruby+Ed

Now I will tell you an alarming fact – it has been discovered that some retailers have been using real fur labeled as fake.  Earlier in 2013 it was found that Century 21 have been selling Marc Jacobs jackets with dog fur because it is actually cheaper than fake. There is a horrendous market for dog meat and fur in Asia often with dogs being cleared off streets, put in cages and then skinned alive. I am not trying to be alarmist because with just about everything I say in this blog I will have researched or seen it myself. In this instance I have seen it during travels across Laos, Vietnam and China.  There has also been evidence that dog fur has been used for the faux cheap Ugg boots which can be found in low end department stores (I won’t mention names!) The solution is to also ask whether it is real fur and to check online what the retailer’s history is.

 Maybe some people think they have to prove their wealth by wearing real fur but the truth is all they are proving it their lack of conscience and imagination.  There are lots of options out there and frankly fur always looks better on the animal.

To finish up here is a picture of my pretty dogs modelling their faux fur bed!