Fur in Fashion: Ethics and Sustainability

Fur has been a part of clothing and fashion for a long time, but as clothes became mass-marketed, the process of procuring fur became less and less ethical. In the past few decades, there has been more of a push against the use of real fur in fashion due to its cruelty. The animals used for fur are kept in small, dirty cages and are abused, and their deaths are wasteful. In many cultures throughout history, fur has been used for clothes and bedding, but there was always an emphasis on using every part of an animal. In the modern fur industry, animals are treated carelessly and without respect, being used purely for quick profit. According to the Humane Society International, “25 countries have either voted to ban [fur farming], have prohibited the farming of particular species, or have introduced stricter regulations that have effectively curtailed the practice” (2024). Because of this, there has been a rise in the use of faux fur. 

Faux fur has long been used as an alternative to real fur, and it is often significantly cheaper. While it is preventing the use of fur farms and limiting animal cruelty, there are still environmental challenges. The majority of fake fur is made with synthetic materials that are not biodegradable, like most fast fashion. They use lots of energy and produce harmful emissions from the factories in which they’re created, too. Moreover, these products are of a much lesser quality, which leads to them being disposed of more routinely than real fur items tend to be, contributing to the vast amounts of clothing waste, overcrowded landfills, and pollution. 

The solution for all this is similar to a lot of sustainable fashion conversations: investing in higher quality clothes made with less synthetics and plastics, or reusing and thrifting older pieces. I’ll start with the more expensive first option. Brands are coming out with semi or fully-biodegradable fur alternatives, which can reduce the energy used and emissions from production or can be composted after use (Collective Fashion Justice). Other alternatives include recycling methods, such as using recycled plastic from the environment or old denim to create faux fur (Collective Fashion Justice). 

The cheaper option is thrifting! While you really shouldn’t buy new, real fur–unless you’ve found a business dedicated to more traditional fur procuring practices and limiting waste–there’s nothing stopping you from buying old fur. Clothes made out of real fur generally are of much higher quality and can hold up far longer than their plastic-ridden mimics, so it might take a little refurbishing, but you can probably find decent-quality fur in a good thrift store. There’s also just thrifting regular faux fur; although it’s nonbiodegradable, it’s way better than contributing directly to fast fashion companies. There are even some businesses dedicated to reusing and repurposing old fur products that might have degraded in quality over the years, that way they’re relying on natural materials but are encouraging sustainability (Sustainable Fur). 

As per most conversations around environmental consciousness and sustainability, research is important. The biggest environmental problems will always be caused by major companies and billionaires, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help to benefit the environment in day-to-day life. It can be more taxing having to research the ethics behind your favorite clothes brands, but it will be worth it to move forward knowing that you’re part of a move towards a kinder and more environmentally friendly world. 

Written by Alec Conwell

Photography by Francesca DiMiceli

Styling: Diamond Durant

Movement Director: K Pereira

MUA: Marlie Kaye

Production: Mark Bluemle

PA: Daniella Fishman

Talent: @shanial1nn , @xman0228 , @luciesreese

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Sources:

Everything You Need to Know about Natural Fur and Sustainability. (2020, July 9). Sustainable Fur. https://www.sustainablefur.com/

Fur alternatives — Collective Fashion Justice. (n.d.). Collective Fashion Justice. https://www.collectivefashionjustice.org/fur-alternatives

Stone, K. (2024, September 30). The fur trade. Humane Society International. https://www.hsi.org/news-resources/fur-trade/

Outfit Repeating: Reuse Pieces, Reduce Clothing Waste, and Recycle Outfits

We live in two societies, reality and digital. One, where we are constantly perceived in the digital landscape, moments, and outfits, forever immortalized. We fear our digital footprints, including our digital lookbooks.

As I traverse through SoHo, my journey is all but smooth as I encounter sidewalks obstructed by long lines for stores like “Edikted” and “Brandy Melville”. I see brown paper shopping bags that make me think that the brand iconography printed on it might as well say “We just sold you the illusion of sustainability”. Every day, there are more fast fashion clothes rotting in landfills, than there are in stores, on racks, in closets, or on bodies. You might as well use that same brown shopping bag to throw away that “must-have” $50 top (that you’re only going to wear to one concert), at least then you would be reducing, reusing, and recycling. In a world where second-hand luxury is called “thrift” despite the price tag being higher than what I have in my bank account, the actual current thrifting state is fast fashion’s rest stop before its final destination, the landfill. How do we combat over-consumerism in this all consuming world of late-stage capitalism? What is the answer to keeping clothes out of landfills and achieving sustainable and affordable fashion? Have we had these answers all along? 

The fast fashion industry, according to the UN Environment Programme, makes up 10% of global carbon emissions and is the second largest consumer of water. Fast fashion production emits as much carbon as the 27 European Union countries. Without interventions, by 2030 the rate of emissions is said to increase by 60%, according to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Boston University, reports that Americans discard more than 34 billion pounds of textiles, which is equal to 100 pounds of textile waste per person.

Additionally, people of higher socioeconomic standing are 76% more likely to waste clothes compared to people of lower socioeconomic status. The clothing of rich people ends up in landfills that are 2.8 times more likely to be located in proximity to BIPOC, marginalized, and/or lower socioeconomic communities, who are at greater risk of suffering adverse health outcomes from the decomposition of wasted clothing. The impact of fashion waste is more than just clothes ending up in landfills. Communities, wildlife, and the environment are curdling and collapsing right before your eyes as you decide to blindly throw away your clothes. You can’t be an “overconsumption, micro trendy, cutesy, fashion person” when the globe is so deleteriously warmed to the point where you can’t wear any clothes. The good news is, you already have everything you need to become a more sustainable fashionista. 

The fear of impending doom because of climate change is more rational than the fear of being labeled as an outfit repeater. Take a moment, and reflect on these questions: What is truly stopping you from wearing an outfit again, even though there is a picture on Instagram showing you have already worn it? 

Outfit repeating is the first step towards living a more sustainable life. Wearing and appreciating the clothes that you have is an act of sustainability. Every time you resist the urge to fall victim to a mindset that clothes can just be discarded, you resist the urge to fall victim to overconsumption. We must tune out the noise from an industry that upholds unsustainable and unethical production practices. I am a huge proponent of creating multiple outfits using one piece of clothing. Be creative and have fun when repeating or recreating, and feel that you are making a difference in the environment, and in your wallet. Make attempts at trying to shop slowly, strategically, sustainably, and ethically. Buy clothes that will be able to stand the tests of time so that you can wear them for years to come. Outfit repeating doesn’t have to be boring and it doesn’t make you any less fashionable.

We could all be a little like the queen of outfit repeating herself, Lizzie McGuire, and internalize, the real weirdos are “outfit rememberers.” If an outfit rememberer tries to clock you, don’t feel ashamed because by repeating that outfit you are saving the Earth one repeat fit at a time. That is something to be very proud of. 

Written by K. Pereira

Photography: Roberto Meadows

Director: Chloe Kaleah Stewart

Production: Jazzi Almestica & Chloe Kaleah Stewart

PA: K Pereira & Amanda Manson

🍃 Skirt Designed by Mark Bluemle

Talent: Ximena Aguilar Arroyo & Analise Von Stackelberg

Dog Adoption vs. Buying: The Dangers of the Dog Breeding Industry

If you’ve ever spent ten minutes with me outside, you know I love dogs. They’re such sweet creatures, and it’s impossible to not see at least five dogs a day walking around in New York City. I have a dog back home named Chip, who my family adopted when he was just a few months old, twelve years ago. My previous family dogs were both rescues, as well, as have been our cats. My family has always been huge proponents of adopting animals over buying them, so I was all too familiar with the issues within the dog breeding industry as I grew up. 

Why is adopting dogs so much better than buying? First, there are so many dogs in shelters all over the world, let alone in the United States. Unfortunately, many of these shelters are overcrowded and underfunded. There are two main types of shelters: one continues to take in dogs past their occupancy levels, leaving animals in poor living conditions with fewer access to food and veterinary care, and the other makes the tough decision to make space for new animals. The latter has been given the misnomer “kill shelters,” which you might have heard over the years. Animal shelters tend to need a lot of help, both with supplies and care. Fostering dogs (and other animals) is another great opportunity that is incredibly beneficial for shelters, so the shelter has more space to take care of new animals and the dogs get more socialization and attention. 

What if you like the idea of adopting, but you want a particular breed of dog? There are breed-specific shelters you can find with a little research. There are also websites like Petfinder, where you can adjust the filters to get a more specific demographic of dog you might be looking for. Worst case scenario, you might just have to look around. Maybe you’ll meet a dog you weren’t necessarily looking for but made a real connection to.

What about behavior? A lot of people are nervous about adopting dogs, particularly adult/older dogs who have more of a past, and it can be a worry that they might be more unpredictable than a dog that’s been raised from a puppy. Well, I would argue that dogs are animals with varied temperaments, and plenty of dogs can have behavior issues despite being raised by a single family since they were puppies. All dogs can benefit in some way from training, but sometimes you just have to give dogs some more care, attention, and patience. It’s not like every rescue dog is a gamble–you have to do research and meet dogs before deciding if they’re the right fit for you or your family, anyway. It’s important to do research regardless because breed behavior can vary drastically; some are way more athletic, some laid back, some are prone to health problems, etc.

I’ve listed a lot of the pros of adopting, but what’s the real issue with buying dogs? Before I get into the problems of the breeding industry or anything like that, let it be known that buying purebred dogs is very expensive. Now, you usually have to pay a decent amount of money to adopt dogs, too, since they’re coming from a shelter that needed to house them, feed them, and likely vaccinate them and provide other veterinary care prior to you adopting them. While adopting dogs usually costs a few hundred dollars, buying dogs is a few thousand. 

One of the more prolific issues with the dog breeding industry is the existence of puppy mills and backyard breeders. Both are incredibly cruel to the dogs, as they’re kept in small, dirty cages and receive little to no vet care (PAWS). Adult dogs in these situations are frequently overbred, abused, and live very unfulfilling lives. While there is a law against puppy mills being implemented in New York at the end of this year, it’s not the case for the rest of the country (ASPCA). The best we can do is educate each other and avoid contributing to their use. 

While some breeders are more ethical and treat their animals more kindly, there are still issues regarding certain breeds of dogs. Some breeds like French and English bulldogs and pugs have naturally flat faces, but many times the dogs are bred improperly, which has led to an epidemic of dogs with more severe breathing problems. There has been a push in more recent years for mixing French bulldogs with Boston terriers to prevent such flat snouts and thus avoid them having bad breathing problems, but it’s not very common. 

A sort of trend was started in the dog breeding community following the creation of the labradoodle (Labrador retriever/poodle mix) for mixing dogs for aesthetic purposes. The labradoodle was created by Wally Conron, a breeding manager in the 1980s tasked with creating a hypoallergenic guide dog–a labradoodle would have “the working ability of the Labrador and the coat of the poodle” (qtd. in Pepper, 2019). Conron came to regret his decision when he realized other breeders would try crossbreeding dogs for the wrong reasons. Now, we’re seeing more and more “designer breeds” that are really just mixes, and it’s basically impossible for them to have the consistent look people want, not to mention recessive traits that can cause serious health problems (The Good, the Bad, and the Truth About Designer Dogs). 

So what can you do? For starters, if you decide to get a dog, you should first look around for dogs in need of adoption. If you really want a specific breed and buying is your only option, make sure you’re buying from a reputable breeder who can prove the ethicality of their business, including the health of your dog’s lineage and how they treat their animals. If you aren’t looking to get a dog anytime soon, you can still help out by donating to or volunteering at animal shelters. In addition, you can keep an eye out for legislation regarding dog breeding and animal abuse in your state and try to support pushes for stricter regulations. 

Written and Photographed by Alec Conwell

Talent: Diamond Durant

PA: Diana Victoria

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Sources:

Buyer Beware: The Problem with Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeders - PAWS. (2019, December 9). PAWS. https://www.paws.org/resources/puppy-mills/

Pepper, F. The first ever labradoodle wasn’t a designer dog, he was a guide dog. (2019, September 23). ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-09-23/labradoodle-guide-dogs-designer-regret/10717186?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

The Good, the Bad, and the Truth About Designer Dogs. Sugar River Animal Hospital. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.sugarriveranimalhospital.com/services/dogs/blog/good-bad-and-truth-about-designer-dogs

The New York Puppy Mill Pipeline Law. (n.d.). ASPCA. https://www.aspca.org/barred-from-love/laws-rules/new-york-puppy-mill-pipeline-law#:~:text=When%20does%20the%20law%20go,families%20looking%20for%20a%20pet%3F