The Earth Friendly Lolita Project

Hey! I just want to say thank you so much for this blog and ask if you could make sure people aren't buying fur for their wardrobes!

Until 2010 there was a loophole in the law that enabled real fur to be labeled wrongfully as faux. Even though there is a better law now, thanks to the Humane Society of the United States, Big Cat Rescue and other animal protection groups, there may still be mislabeled furs in the marketplace. So be sure to closely examine anything that might be fur. As the public has increasingly said NO to real fur, the garment industry has dyed their furs pink and green and other unnatural colors to fool the public.

Here's ways to make sure it's Faux.. for real.

1. Check the base of the fur for skin or fabric. Push apart the fur and look at the material at the base of the hairs.

2. Check the tips of the hairs for tapering—if it looks like a cat's whisker or sewing needle, it's real.

3. The Burn Test (only if you own the coat!). Animal hair smells like human hair when burned; fake fur made from acrylic or polyester—the two most commonly used synthetics—does not. Carefully remove just a few hairs and then, holding them with tweezers above a dish or other non-flammable surface, ignite them.

The above photo shows a high quality faux fur vest, sold at Henri Bendel, by a company called Imposter. Also pictured, adorable little raccoon dogs, which are a member of the dog family though more closely resemble raccoons. A majority of mislabeled fur comes from raccoon dogs, including the vests at Strawberry. From our experience, it's pretty easy to tell the lower quality faux fur apart from real—and as shown from the real fur hat above, if your instinct is to pet it, it's probably real.

Thank you for your consideration!!
Othique