Do you or would you wear fur/shearling coats?

[arivecchi]

Alexmommy's post and the cold weather and snow has me thinking about this today. I am pretty sure I know which way posters here will feel about this, but I am curious.

[ilfaith]

I live in Florida, so it really isn't much of an issue for me (although I suppose there are women who break out furs for special occasions).

But having lived most of my life in the NYC area, I've never even considered wearing fur. Shearling, on the other hand, is less of an issue for me. I guess I consider it to be more akin to leather (which I do wear) than mink, fox, or sable.

[alexsmommy]

Real - no.
Fake? Sure!

ETA: I should probably clarify. I don't necessarily have an issue with others doing it, but I personally just don't have a reason. I'd feel like a hypocrite (personally, not accusing anyone else) since I do eat meat, I do wear leather etc.acting all high and mighty about it. I just have no need for a real fur.

[JBaxter]

SOMEDAY... I will have a nice real fur coat. I have no problem wearing fur, leather or eating meat.

[arivecchi]

DH gave me a beautiful shearling coat as a gift years ago. Not sure I would have bought it myself, but I do love it. It is so incredibly warm and soft. I like the look of shearling, but am not sure I would go for other furs.

[codex57]

No, I don't find that they're that warm and they tickle/itch.

Fleece/down works better for me.

Fashionwise, as a guy, they're not exactly at the top of my wardrobe choice.

[lilycat88]

My MIL gave me her full length black sable mink for Christmas after DH and I were married (she passed away in March of the following year). I would never have purchased one myself and only wear it a couple of times a year. If I had more places/events to wear it, I would.

[ThreeofUs]

I eat lamb, so I have no problem wearing shearling. That said, I only buy said shearling from a farm that I know and have seen, and from which I have also bought lamb to eat.

[blisstwins]

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a vegetarian. I would and do wear leather, because I think of it as a by-product. I would never wear fur and try as I might cannot understand why someone would choose to. I know I will sound like a jerk, but when I see younger people especially wearing fur I assume we could never be friends. : (

[AnnieW625]

Yes I have one, it's a brown suede leather jacket with real wool sheerling lining. DH bought it in the mid 90s. I started wearing it a few years back when it became more fashionable for women to wear sheerling. I think DH paid maybe $200 for it then and now for something similar that's fake it would be the same price so I feel very lucky to have a nice sheerling coat; a new one with sheerling these days would double if not triple the price. I don't eat lamb because I don't like the flavor.

[o_mom]

I don't own, wouldn't purchase or wear one, but really it's just not my style or what I would spend money on, not some moral issue for me. Doesn't really bother me that other people do (though the 48 hrs/60 min special on dog fur a few years ago gave me nightmares :bag).

[codex57]

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a vegetarian. I would and do wear leather, because I think of it as a by-product. I would never wear fur and try as I might cannot understand why someone would choose to. I know I will sound like a jerk, but when I see younger people especially wearing fur I assume we could never be friends. : (

Objectively, because most people find fur incredibly soft and warm.

Subjectively, it's nice fashion and a status symbol.

Those are the main reasons. As for the killing of animals, that's not overly hard to rationalize away. First, I gotta assume fur wearers eat meat. Humans are omnivores and are designed to eat protein such as meat. If we were meant to deprive ourselves by eating only tofu and the like, we wouldn't have canine teeth. So, no reason to feel guilty about eating meat and thus no general aversion to killing animals that are useful to us. We're not fighting nature. Fur is warm and what earlier generations wore so there's history behind it. Nowadays, the animals they use are generally quite unpleasant and vicious animals so not too hard to not feel sorry for the ones who gave up their coats. Unlike the Disney or Simpsons cartoons, fur coats generally aren't made up of cute dalmatian puppies or some other super cuddly and cute animal.

Now, there are some unethical companies who substitute animals that many would object to, but those are unethical companies. Can't fight em all. Falls into the same category as child labor. You do what you can, but it's not quite so clear cut or easy.

[pinkmomagain]

I inherited a fur coat from my step grandmother that I restyled. Then a few years later my DH took me to the store and spontaneously bought me a full-length mink. I didn't ask for it, but I do enjoy wearing it and enjoy the memory of DH doing something loving and impulsive like that even more.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a vegetarian. I would and do wear leather, because I think of it as a by-product. I would never wear fur and try as I might cannot understand why someone would choose to. I know I will sound like a jerk, but when I see younger people especially wearing fur I assume we could never be friends. : (

:yeahthat:
I agree, but I cannot say I would never be friends with someone that wears fur, that said non of my friends have/do (to the best of my knowledge).... I try to find alternatives to leather, but I do wear Ugg boot....
If people ate mink,my opinion might be different.

[dcmom2b3]

Yes. I have two shearlings and two furs, all purchased years ago (my pre-baby fashion victim days). Right now the only one I wear regularly is a workhorse shearling car coat that I wear in the dead of winter. Good when the bus stop doesn't have a shelter!

I look forward to the future -- when DD's hands aren't quite so sticky all the time and I have occasions where the other coats would be appropriate to wear. (Sigh)

[JBaxter]

:yeahthat:
I agree, but I cannot say I would never be friends with someone that wears fur, that said non of my friends have/do (to the best of my knowledge).... I try to find alternatives to leather, but I do wear Ugg boot....
If people ate mink,my opinion might be different.

So your ok with sherling?

[crl]

I don't own any and don't have any to inherit and don't have any plans to ever buy any. But I do eat meat and wear leather and so on. So it's not really a moral/ethic issue for me. It's more that they aren't really my taste and I'd rather spend my money on other things anyway.

Catherine

[Ceepa]

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a vegetarian. I would and do wear leather, because I think of it as a by-product. I would never wear fur and try as I might cannot understand why someone would choose to. I know I will sound like a jerk, but when I see younger people especially wearing fur I assume we could never be friends. : (

I'm not a vegetarian but I agree about the fur.

[jent]

... So, no reason to feel guilty about eating meat and thus no general aversion to killing animals that are useful to us. We're not fighting nature. Fur is warm and what earlier generations wore so there's history behind it...

I agree with you on one level, Codex, not to feel guilty about using meat as a protein source. But on another level, I do have a problem with the meat and poultry industry and how they treat their animals and do business. So, I eat very little meat and try to buy from small local farms. I haven't actually researched the fur/shearling industry since fur is completely NMS, so I don't know if it's as egregious as PETA makes out.

[ZeeBaby]

I would like to own a fur someday and would totally wear one of it was given to me.

[katydid1971]

I would wear shearling but not fur. I have a problem with the way the treat and kill the animals used for fur coats. My feeling is that wearing shearling uses the whole animal so I don't have a problem with that. I don't have either, I do have leather shoes and an old leather coat.

[MamaMolly]

I don't own one but also don't have a problem with it. Right now we don't live (anywhere near) a place that is cold enough to justify the expense, but every woman in DH's family has at least one fur, SIL included. If I lived in a colder climate I'd love one.

[KHF]

Fur no, shearling yes. I have a faux shearling coat now that is awesome. I bought it a zillion years ago and it's still perfect. I had it cleaned a couple of years ago because DH swore it smelled, but I couldn't smell it.

[lizzywednesday]

I'm an "other" and here's why:

A few years ago, maybe shortly after DH & I got engaged, my dad's mom pulled out a gorgeous mink stole she'd had for probably 50 years. She offered it to me, but I didn't have anywhere I could wear it, although it looked really good on me.

I wouldn't buy a fur coat/jacket for myself, but I would certainly wear that stole!

[vludmilla]

No, I would not purchase a real fur or shearling coat.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

So your ok with sherling?

I wear Ugg boots (not for fashion, for warmth), but that is where my shearling wearing ends... But like I said in a PP people do eat lamb, they aren't killed just for the shearling, like a mink is raised and killed just for it's fur.

[s7714]

I voted other. I wouldn't have any ethical issues with wearing it if I actually lived in an cold area, but it wouldn't be my first choice given that animal fur/shearling can't exactly be thrown in the washing machine and dryer if you get DC spit up, snot, etc. on it! I prefer low maintenance gear LOL! ;)

[kijip]

No. Though that is not a political or social decision really.

I think it is really, really unattractive and often just ugly. To say it is not my style is a major understatement. Seriously. I think it looks really hideous 9 times of 10. Sorry to those that like it so much. To each their own!

[mommylamb]

I don't have any fur or shearling, and I wouldn't go out of my way to get it, but I don't think it's terrible. I do wear leather shoes and I eat meat, so I do't think I'm in a position to judge anyone else. It's not my style, but whatever.

[MoJo]

it wouldn't be my first choice given that animal fur/shearling can't exactly be thrown in the washing machine and dryer if you get DC spit up, snot, etc. on it! I prefer low maintenance gear LOL!

I'm with Jenn (except that I do live in a cold area, and have several coats. But none are fur or shearling.).

[egoldber]

No, never. For me it is an ethical issue. I do eat meat, but to me there is a big difference between raising an animal for food and using the byproducts for other commercial uses and raising an animal and killing it solely for it's pelt. For others it may not feel different, but it does to me.

[Momof3Labs]

Other: I would never buy fur or shearling for me to wear, but there are some furs in our family - from my mother and grandmothers (all purchased at least 25-30 years ago) - that I might consider wearing. The difference, to me, is that buying a new one supports the fur industry, whereas wearing an old family fur is more akin to "recycling". I can't change the fact that these furs were purchased many years ago, but I can control whether I support the industry now and in the future.

[khalloc]

I would not wear fur. I think its just yucky.

I suppose I would wear shearling - but not a coat. I just dont like the style. I do have Ugg boots - do those count?

[deborah_r]

Fur: no, because I just have no interest.

Shearling: not even totally sure what that is (as far as, I can't picture one in my head), but I might consider it.

[arivecchi]

I would not wear fur. I think its just yucky.

I suppose I would wear shearling - but not a coat. I just dont like the style. I do have Ugg boots - do those count? Yes, Uggs use sheepskin.

I don't like the look of all fur coats and shearling coats, but I do see some in Chicago that are amazing. I have down coats, but think the down look is uglier in general than the shearling look for instance.