Wait—Are We Wearing Fur Again?

Earlier last week, I received a text message from a friend I’ll call Penny: What’s the point of wearing a fur coat these days? You see, Penny inherited a gray fox fur coat from her grandmother, and the sub-freezing temperatures made her think it was time to get it out. Sometimes I get stares in Brooklyn, but no one gives me a look in ManhattanI replied. At the end of the night, Penny sent me a follow-up outfit photo with the text: I felt really good wearing it at The Mark.

Fur was a hot topic throughout New York Fashion Week and at multiple conferences on the catwalk. Fashion office. So we started debating: Is it okay to wear vintage fur now?

Margaux: Hi everyone, thanks for your willingness to talk about a controversial topic. As you all know, I have quite a collection of vintage furs – both inherited from my family and purchased through years of collecting. I wore it throughout New York Fashion Week and there was real fur everywhere on the streets. This doesn’t surprise me, it’s warm and chic, but I know some of you are surprised by its revival…

Nicole Phelps, Fashion Runway Director: I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I have watched trends change throughout my career, but the return of fur took me by surprise. Maybe it’s the reason for the PETA protests I’ve witnessed on the runways over the years? I see young women wearing long vintage furs with tracksuits and sneakers on the weekends, and to me this highlights their “let me have cake” rejection of the anti-fur movement.

Alyssa Hardy, digital director of Teen Vogue: Most of my fashion friends own vintage fur, but the question is whether to wear it in a high-visibility way. I have been completely plant-based for 20 years and don’t have any fur – which is not very comfortable to wear given the lifestyle I choose. Best of all, no one in my family has ever owned a fur to pass down (I know this is one way people often acquire furs).

Photography: Phil Oh

Photography: Phil Oh

Alexandra Hildreth, Fashion News Writer, Fashion track: The madness of the “Mob Wives” trend really helped break down barriers when real fur made its way back into the mainstream. Most people in my circle recognize the fact that vintage or second-hand items are more sustainable than faux items. Now, the topic has resurfaced, less as a reopened debate than as a fascination with the shifting mood in the mainstream conversation: Is faux fur really sustainable? More importantly, is fur’s resurgence in fashion a dog whistle for conservatism?