Cliché Thursday: Fur leftovers

Fur is a pretty heavy issue. If your upbringing was anything like mine, you were taught that buying fur is not okay. While I have thought about vintage fur coats and whether it's okay to buy one, it never even crossed my mind to consider buying a new fur coat. And not just because they're expensive - it's just one of those lines I was taught not to cross as a kid, morally almost on par with issues like racism and environmental waste. Principles learned at a young age are the ones that stick the longest.

But somehow, fur is becoming okay again. Undeniably, most designers feel just fine sending glamourous fur items down the catwalk. You could of course argue that catwalks aren't necessarily representative of what people actually wear. After all, most of us can't afford to be decked out in fox, mink or sable (although we did spot a hell of a lot of fur coats in Paris). We can, however, afford fur trimmings and accessories. Fur on the hoods of coats, boots, gloves, sleeves, ... And what's the harm? After all, these small bits and scraps are castoffs of animals that were already dead. It would almost seem wasteful to throw them away - why shouldn't they be used? They're leftovers from the core industry of fur: coats and hats.

Except they're not. Fur trimmings aren't by-products. As the trade in coats declined, the fur industry turned to trim. Animals are now raised for the trim market specifically. For instance, as much as 90% percent of farm-bred foxes in the USA are killed to provide fur trim. According to FICA, the Fur Information Council of America, in 2010 the fur market accounted for $1.3 billion in trade. In the USA alone. Fur trim retail is estimated to be worth $500 million annually. Peanuts?

The problem with fur trim is that it is rarely labeled. Don't assume you're buying faux fur just because you're not paying big bucks - fur trimmings really don't come that expensive. And even when it is labeled as fur, and you have no objection to it, be very cautious: Asian cat and dog fur is known to be sometimes sold as rabbit fur. I'd suggest to thread carefully, and if you're in doubt, ask the brand for more information!

Paris Winter Wonderland

Our Paris trip in a few words: pancakes, Musée d'Orsay, taking pictures of tourists (I kindly left those out), weird encounters with vulgar tour guides and hostel personnel straight out of Little Britain, endless walks, Centre Pompidou, bad cocktails, great éclairs, the best of company (shout out to my dear London boys!), battling the cold and shopping. SO much shopping. An elaborate report is on its way, but for now: pictures. Quite the heavy post, sorry about that!

The relativity of it all

Just a little while ago, I was asked to attented a meeting on the start-up of a research project for my organisation. Also attending would be my nearest colleague, my boss and three researchers, one of whom is a well known university professor and a much respected expert in his field. Pondering what to wear in the morning, I decided on a dark flowery dress and a grey top underneath. After looking in the mirror, I realised the grey top was much too sporty spice, so I took off the dress in a hurry and put on a more formal black top instead. The meeting took place first thing in the morning and went quite well. After a couple of hours, we shook hands and started leaving. I was chatting with my colleague, when he suddenly noticed I'd gone quiet. He followed my gaze to my left hand, all confused because it didn't find its way into a pocket, and we both saw this:

See those seams? Turns out I had been wearing my dress inside out the whole morning, genius that I am.

The remarkable thing was: nobody had even noticed it before I did. They couldn't have cared less about what I wore. I think I can therefore safely conclude: the only person I'm dressing up for is me. Maybe I should put this theory to the test with, say, a Finding Nemo dress-up costume.

Needless to say my colleague hasn't stopped making fun of me ever since. (He also kindly told my boss while I was speeding off to the bathroom to change.)