Fur is back in a big way this winter now that the “mob wife aesthetic” is trending online — bold makeup, big hair, gold jewellery and lots of leopard print.
With fur coats being the pièce de résistance of a “mob wife” outfit, vintage collectors are likely just reaching into their closets for their nearest fluffy fur.
But if you’re only just ready to find your inner Carmela Soprano for the first time, you might find yourself searching for a new-to-you fuzzy topper — and wondering about whether or not it’s “acceptable” to wear vintage fur.
The idea of wearing vintage fur seems to make perfect sense. It is an environmentally sound choice—not disposable fast fashion but a responsible, secondhand purchase. And somehow, I can justify wearing it exactly because I am not contributing to the current cycle of mass fur production. I wouldn’t buy a new fur even if I could afford to.
But if you’re only just ready to find your inner Carmela Soprano for the first time, you might find yourself searching for a new-to-you fuzzy topper — and wondering about whether or not it’s “acceptable” to wear vintage fur.
What about fur coats that are already in circulation? Are vintage fur coats “ethical”? Is faux fur more sustainable than the real thing? Should you still be buying faux fur in 2024 with all of our current sustainability concerns, or should you consider opting for vintage fur?
Vintage fur already exists, and if there’s quality remaining in the garment, then absolutely it would be wasteful to not use it. Synthetic or faux furs are created with non-sustainable petroleum products — chemicals. Not only are faux furs synthetic and toxic to make, but they’re synthetic and toxic to care for and wear. You’re wearing it and these little filaments are flying around and breaking down and you’re inhaling it.
There’s something about letting beautiful old furs go to waste that feels like we’re doing them a disservice. If we vow to never buy new fur, then vintage fur becomes a finite resource, something precious and irreplaceable.
Vintage blue fox fur – Wild Prairie Design