Fur, Faux, and Fast Fashionfeatured

Fur has long been thought of as the baddie of the fashion world and as a result, as soon as Autumn comes around our high street shops are filled with faux alternatives.

However, these alternatives can be extremely bad for the environment for a number of reasons:

• If we throw them away once we’re done with them they’re unlikely to ever biodegrade
• Made from non-renewable petroleum based products such as nylon, acrylic and polyester, fake fur is also treated with chemicals to improve its appearance and texture
• Not only are faux-fur clothes bad for the environment once they’ve been disposed of, the actual process of creating the coat in the first place uses three times as much non-renewable energy than real fur
• Apparently, washing fake fur is bad too. During each machine wash tiny particles of plastic are released before eventually being released into rivers, lakes and the sea
• People are more likely to throw away their faux-fur coats after just one season

The impact these alternatives have on the environment is only half the problem. Although we’re doing what we can to save animals we’re inadvertently showing a complete disregard for humans. We already know that many of the clothes that we wear have been created by small, poverty-stricken children in developing parts of the world but does that stop us from buying and wearing them? Not really.

As a result, some campaigners are saying that we SHOULD be wearing fur after all, because not only does its production rarely involve sweatshops, it’s also a sustainable alternative to the fast fashion that we’ve grown so accustomed to.

Besides, what use is saving animals if we’re gradually working towards destroying the whole planet?

But HANG FIRE! Before we choose to add a fur coat to our wardrobes once summer is over, let’s take the pro-fur propaganda with a pinch of salt. While fur does actually seem like a more natural alternative to wearing plastic that’s been made to look and feel like an cuddly animal, the idea of animals being slaughtered for fashion still doesn’t seem quite right.

The good news is we have other options. What can we do to minimise the impact that our purchases have on the environment, animals, and people around the world?

Well, let’s use Meat Free Mondays as a source of inspiration. The initiative was introduced to encourage people to reduce their meat consumption. With meat production having a detrimental effect on the environment, giving up everything from burgers to chicken breasts for just one day a week can make a significant difference. Maybe we need to do this with fashion too?

So I’m not saying we have to give up shopping on the high street, buying fast fashion, or even…wearing fur if that’s what you want to do. What I’m saying is that if we all did our bit to REDUCE the amount of the stuff we buy brand new (because constantly buying new stuff is a large part of the problem) we will be helping to implement change.

Here are a few ideas for shopping more sustainably:

• Celebrate #CharityShopChuesdays. I just made that up right now. I wonder whether it will catch on? 😉
• Visit a car boot sale every once in a while
• Buy second hand clothes off eBay
• Throw a clothes swap party
• Accept hand-me-downs from friends and family members

Although the above suggestions may help many of us to reduce the impact on the environment and animals, unfortunately so much more needs to be done to fully tackle the issue of poor working conditions in sweatshops. It’s disgraceful that so many people in developing countries are being so cruelly taken advantage of in the name of fashion.

I’d like to think that by doing what we can to reduce the number of new purchases that we make, we can at least prevent the demand for this type of clothing from increasing. We need to show retailers that we care about ethically sourced garments. If you want to know more about the the effects of sweatshops, I’d definitely recommend having a look at the Who Made My Clothes? campaign.

What do you think? Do you wear fur, faux, or neither of them? Have you got any other ideas to help people be more sustainable without completely turning their back on the world of fashion?