Recent scandals have left us devastated to find that what was sold to us as fake fur by high street fashion brands is actually real fur. The sad reality is that because real fur is cheaper to produce than some high quality faux furs, it is mis-sold by manufacturers as the latter. High street brands who fail to quality control have been caught out by vigilant shoppers who
- Separate the fur at the base to have a closer look at how it is attached. If it’s faux fur it will be attached to a mesh or threaded fabric, if it’s real it will be attached to skin.
- Look at the tips of the hairs. If the fur is real the ends will taper to a fine point whereas the tips of faux fur will usually appear blunt or cut.
- If you already own the item you can also perform a burn test. Cut a few hairs from the coat or accessory and hold them over a flame with a pair of tweezers. Real fur will smell like human hair when it burns whereas faux fur will smell like melting plastic (and will melt rather than singe).
These three tests will give you a more accurate idea of whether the fur is real or fake than judging by the price or feel of the garment. Having searched far and wide for the highest quality faux furs on the market to make our Culthread coats, we know all too well that man made materials can look and feel just like real animal fur.