Fashionable Fur, Fair Or Foul?

The issue of whether to wear fur or not has only become a politically correct one in recent years. Back in the 1920s and 1930s, the wearing of luxurious furs was something that many women aspired to. I can readily understand the mystique, which streched back over the centuries. By the twentieth century, however, the need to wear furs was becoming more and more just an option. The creation of new synthetics, especially after the two world wars, makes the wearing of fur unnecessary.

Then, too, there are the issues of animal cruelty in harvesting pelts. Unsavory practices at mink farms and other facilities has thrown the practice into an unfavorable light, aided by PETA. The history of creating fur-trimmed garments can be seen in remarkable Library works like Mama Made Minks and Fur in Dress. The Native Americans of various tribes had a practical approach. When they'd stalked an animal and made ready for the kill, they offered a prayer to the animal and its' protecting spirit. The hunter would thank his prey for the gift of his life and pelt, saying that he appreciated this since he needed the food and warmth.

Me, I have rabbits at home. No spirit would protect me from their wrath if I should choose to wear fur. Hurray for synthetics...