Fur Fashion in 2007: Common Sense in America

From one end of America to the other, fur has swung into full fashion, firmly entrenching itself, cropping up in every form, from the traditional to the woven, dyed, knitted, and wild. Sales are strong and growing, and, more importantly, American opinion of fur seems to be shifting, amazingly, to a preference based in careful consumer choice and logic, and not emotional rhetoric. In a country that owes a major portion of its history to the fur trade, acceptance of fur seems to have finally sunk in.

The battle over the ethics of fur has raged for decades, driven by animal rights groups and their use of unorthodox (and sometimes, illegal) action to create an artificial hatred by the public of a consumer good. Recent developments and broad trends, however, show that the American public is finally wising up to these manipulations, and in fact is making fur purchase decisions based on common sense. Furthermore, arguments are emerging that show the fur trade as environmentally positive, much to the chagrin of so called animal rights activists.

Fur has long held an important role in the history of America, although one that your average sign-waving protester is likely ignorant of, willfully or otherwise. Conflict over the valuable riches of the fur trade led to lengthy wars between colonial powers, whose settlers became the first Americans and Canadians. Entire metropolitan areas, such as Chicago, owe their founding and existence to the fur trade. Reaching back still further, fur has been the eldest of all human coverings and garments, whether one is quoting from Scripture or the scientific record of cavemen.

In the modern world, though, fur must contend with its nemesis: the animal rights activist. While their intentions are honorable, such "rights" groups exist to do one thing only: create an artificial hatred of a product, in much the same way a company's marketing department creates artificial desire for a product. Campaigns of emotional pleas by celebrities and shock imagery have grown into something far worse: harassment, assault, destruction of property, and intimidation. Most frightening of all, many Americans existed at one point that fully supported these tactics, put into play simply to act against one product. Would they be outraged if such things were applied to any of their own personal choices?

For a time, such campaigns were a success, browbeating fur from the public mind with emotional, illogical fear and artificially created hatred for a product based on erroneous assumptions. However, America now finds itself in the midst of a fur fashion boom, and one that shows no sign of abatement. Fashion houses around the country and the globe vie with one another to produce the best, most original fur creations for the 2007 Fall season, and consumers stand ready with their most powerful vote, their wallets.

Americans are waking up to the fact that not everything animal rights groups say is true, just because it is cloaked in emotional appeal. The recent convictions of animal rights activists on charges of arson and terror show that crimes against the public cannot be forever concealed as morally correct activism. Fur farms cannot mistreat their animals as claimed by activists, because such mistreatment would result in poor quality pelts and thus poor profit. Unlike many petroleum based fashion products, fur is a renewable resource, in a time when Americans may finally be awakening to environmental conservation. Finally, as a regulated industry, standards can be maintained and monitored with far more humanity and consistency than if fur was driven underground. Last, but not least, creative fashion design, cutting, and coloring has resulted in hundreds of new applications for fur, seemingly without end. From Gucchi to Armani, and from New York to Milan and Paris, fur is in charge.

When you see a woman proudly wearing her fur, compliment her. She's shown a taste for style, conservation, and common sense. Nothing says glamour like a proud statement of, "I can think for myself."