Fur is back in fashion as vintage trend drives coat sales, but is it misguided?
Used real fur coats are flying off shelves as ‘thoughtful’ additions to wardrobes. But animal rights activists voice concerns over the trend
Laura Jacobs thought she would never wear animal fur, having witnessed years of protests over its use in clothing – until suddenly she started spotting it all over New York.
Jacobs fished out the long mink her grandmother left her years ago and took it to a Manhattan furrier to give it a second act.
Fur “was stigmatised for so long”, Jacobs says, posing before a full-length mirror and assessing a potential crop.
“I never would have bought a fur coat,” Jacobs says, adding that the thought of “killing animals like that” gave her pause. But “this felt like I was recycling it”, she says.
New York is thawing out after a particularly cruel winter that has included debates over fur’s revival as influencers push the look and retail sites report a jump in searches for vintage pieces.