Is it acceptable to wear second hand fur?

This AW24 fashion week the shows were full of faux fur maybe even real, can you even tell the difference between them now? The mob wife aesthetic has become a huge influence creating a storm over whether wearing second hand fur is acceptable. But it definitely seems to be a trend that isn't going away.

How do you feel about it?

We have taken extracts from the following articles but what are your thoughts on this latest trend?

Aw24 Miu Miu

VOGUE

'At first, it just felt like a TikTok trend: Gen Z and millennials wearing vintage fur or faux-fur coats to incarnate the so-called mob-wife aesthetic—an ostentatious mafioso style that takes cues from Carmela Soprano and The Godfather’s Connie Corleone. Then it felt like a celebrity stunt moment: Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber wearing shearling coats in Aspen, Ice Spice wearing repurposed fur to the 2024 Grammys, and Kim Kardashian stepping out in a matching fuzzy Prada set—all within a few months of each other. But suddenly it felt like a real thing.

The bellwether perhaps began with Pharrell Williams’s Louis Vuitton men’s collections and their floor length dusters. It continued during New York Fashion Week, where models wearing fur—some of it real, some vintage, some faux—strutted down several runways. Luar had fur stoles, and LaQuan Smithopted for opulent bomber jackets. Models in bold, burgundy shearling jackets strutted at Khaite, while over in London Simone Rochawrapped her models’ shoulders in faux-fur patches. Fast-forward to Milan, and Ballyshowed dresses and vests lined with elegant fur trimmings. Before Paris even began—where Miu Miu put a faux fur coat on Gigi Hadid and Balenciaga opted for faux-fur dusters—it was clear. The fur aesthetic had officially gone far beyond algorithms.

But the return of real fur has taken many in the industry by surprise. In 2021, it appeared to be firmly out. Kering—the French luxury conglomerate that owns Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga, among many other labels—banned its use across its maisons. Billie Eilish asked Oscar de la Renta to go fur-free, and it agreed. Saks Fifth Avenue closed their fur salons and announced they’d stop selling fur goods by 2023. Meanwhile, California banned the sale of mink, sable, chinchilla, lynx, fox, rabbit, beaver, and coyote furs outright. The British Fashion Council even banned it from London Fashion Week.

When fur is used in a slow-fashion way, it is a relatively sustainable resource. It’s in the farmer’s best interest to maximize every part of the animal: The cows we eat are also used for leather. Shearling comes from lambs set to be consumed, making it a byproduct of our food supply. (This is why shearling is often still sold by retailers that have banned most other types of fur—and is not included in the statewide or company-wide bans.) For those animals we don’t eat, the meat often goes into animal feed, fertilizers, or other various products. Mink fat, for example, can be used in soap manufacturing.

But we don’t live in a world of slow fashion anymore. We live in a fast, mass-consumer one. And in that world, more than one billion animals are killed every year for the fur industry, according to the Journal of Animal Ethics. Ethically, it’s hard for some to justify that number. And sure, some luxury brands have enough money to use high-end fur companies that offer transparency and traceability, but that’s more often the exception than the rule. There’s no way that all those animals are killed responsibly or handled sustainability (if you even think either is possible).

The solution, at first, seemed like faux fur: something that made the wearer feel luxurious yet was cruelty-free. Yet faux fur is most often made from microplastics, which are not biodegradable. According to the United Nations, synthetic clothing releases an estimated 1.4 million trillion plastic fibers per year into the ocean. This seemingly leaves consumers with no great choice: Eco-friendliness comes at the price of ethics, or ethics comes at the price of eco-friendliness. “Fur can be sustainable, but faux fur is not,” Mai says. “But faux fur isn’t an animal product, and fur is. Those are two separate conversations.”

Enter vintage fur.

It circumvents both the problems of real fur and faux fur; you are neither harming any animals nor creating any waste for landfills.

“With upcycling and vintage, you’re not causing any additional harm,” the designers told Vogue in 2021. Meanwhile, interest in thrifting has reached an all-time high. Some 62% of Gen Z and millennial consumers say they look for items secondhand before buying new. (“Clean girl is out, mob-wife era is in…. We’re wearing vintage furs all winter,” TikToker Kayla Trivieri said in her now viral voiceover describing the mob-wife aesthetic.)

...wearing fur, justifying it by saying, ‘It’s in my closet anyways, it’s vintage, and I might as well wear it.’”

Loewe AW24

VOGUE BUSINESS...

TikTok #mobwifeaesthetics has already garnered over 52 millions views in the past 10 days.

Faux fur coats are already up 18 per cent this month, while searches for leopard print are up a staggering 213 per cent.

“Fur is one of the most polluting and wasteful industries in the fashion world,” says Claire Bass, senior campaigns and public affairs director at Humane Society. However, she is hopeful that “the increasing availability of innovative, next-gen materials”, such as plant-based alternatives, is a step towards a sustainable fur-free future.

Many of the current faux fur alternatives are made from petroleum-based products and polyester and acrylic mixes, which can take approximately 1,000 years to biodegrade once they inevitably end up in landfill. “Moving away from petroleum-based products while keeping intact our animal-free vision definitely is a huge challenge,” says Arnaud Brunois, the communication and sustainability manager of Ecopel, a faux fur artisan that works with brands like Stella McCartney. “The new generation of synthetics will have to be designed differently, free of virgin plastics to keep circularity in mind.”

“Ultimately the most sustainable thing you can do is buy timeless pieces that you can wear over multiple seasons,” says Maisonrouge. “Not just because it’s mob wife winter.”

What do you think? Are you for or against? Is wearing second hand fur or faux fur still glamorising it and shouldn't be worn at all?

🌶️

Chillie London x M.C.Overalls

M.C.Overalls & Chillie London have combined to produce a limited edition capsule collection and fitting tribute to up-cycled fashion. Celebrating authenticity and quality craftsmanship, this collab builds on the relationship between changing habits and the awareness of a new generation of consumer in a post pandemic environment. 

Fast fashion has made space for a brighter vision of nostalgia and sustainable creativity. This  capsule collection is comprised of 20 pieces. ChillieLondon have revisited some of M.C.Overalls signature styles and colourways from the iconic to the brand’s tried & tested staples. Pieces include, Overalls, Work jackets, Coach jackets combined with Chillie’s vision of second hand bomber jackets and vintage workwear pieces. 

With a focus on reducing the environmental impact and promoting a greener future, Chillie London have been sourcing 90’s style bombers jackets, workwear,  waistcoats and other hardware and textiles.  Using rejected padding, textures and layers from all parts of a jacket, they have recreated a new style of jacket to define what up-cycling is all about.  The jackets are functional but also several styles have multiple options and ways of styling.  Layered with waistcoats to style over or under a jacket some of these pieces have 3 to 4 ways to wear them.  The idea is to have a piece that can be styled in many ways to add to the sustainability of the piece.  

‘Our vision for the future is to keep producing up-cycled collections that hopefully inspire other brands to do the same rather than over producing with with huge amounts of wasted clothing.’ Says Natalie Hartley, co- founder of Chillie London

She added ‘We want to work with brands that are aligned with our vision about sustainability.  M.C.Overalls have iconic pieces produced and designed to a high level with great quality which remains the benchmark for a sustainable brand.  We love their simplicity, modern easy dressing which mirrors our approach to fashion.  Each piece has been the perfect blank canvas for us to create from staying true to their vision with a little spice from Chillie.  

‘Upcycling can be the new recycling for fashion.  It has to be this way we are here to make sure this does keep happening’ says Lydia co- founder of Chillie London 

Prices start at £175 and go up to £350. 

Available from the 11th October 2023 at the new Chillie London store on 361 Portobello Rd, London W10 5SA.

The full collection is now available online https://www.chillielondon.com

Chillie Chats… Samantha Wears

Samantha was one of our MAJOR models in our latest ss23 campaign, starring in the photoshoot and taking part in our 2 day presentation to launch ss23 held at the Groucho Club during London Fashion Week. We scouted her as a customer at Chillie when we had our very first pop up shop at Pichi on Ladbroke Grove and we all became fast friends. Sam modelled back in the day but through her growing Instagram following is having another career as a model! She has most recently starred in something for Miu Miu and has been cast in shows over this season in London. She has some amazing stories to match her epic vintage collection which she has collected since she can remember. Thanks Sam for your continued and incredible support for Chillie London. Here's what she has to say!

C: Describe your style

Pre loved, into vintage sporty style, next day funky or classic ! Always different I would say.

C: Where do you look for fashion inspiration

On my local high street or when I’m walking doing errands… old movies, I don’t really follow a trend.

Recently went to Oslo Court in St John's Wood and time has stood still these colours and table settings haven't changed in over 20 years and are still inspiring to me!

C: Why do you buy vintage

Because the price point is often more affordable, I know not everyone else will have it, I always wonder who owned it before and it’s much more exciting than going to a store. Always I LOVE to say when people ask me where it’s from to say it’s vintage. Hahahaah

C: What’s the story behind Your favourite vintage piece (below)

Basically my friend was getting married and she was asking what I was going to wear to the wedding she said I could borrow from her as she had an incredible wardrobe!! I had always loved Thai cashmere Chanel blazer however I was taller than her and she had had the jacket shortened to fit but I was obsessed so I wore it! She let me borrow it once and then went to a party in it and someone poured beer over it!! She never knew had it dry cleaned but never borrowed anything again after that!! A year ago, at a vintage fair, I saw this exact same jacket tried it on and the arms were so short and knew it had to be the same one. I bought it and was so happy to have found it as would never have been able to have afforded it!! What are the chances!! Fate

C: Favourite brand

Money no object will probably be vintage Chanel/ viv and YSL

This Chanel sweatshirt I bought at the Chillie London pop up event, exclusively sold by stylist Sara Gilmour and since then I discovered Claudia Schiffer out in the same sweatshirt from back when it came out!

C: Do you prefer e books / audiobook or physical book

Love the smell of a good book. So a physical book.

C: Do you shop in store

Yeah sometimes ! I like talking and I always meet interesting people

C: Do you vote and if so what drives your vote?

Yes!!!!!!! Everyone should vote!

The hat above I made!! This picture was taken 28 years ago

C: Tips for shopping vintage

Don’t have something in mind, shop out put of season, and try stuff on!!!! You never know, it may fit.

C: Favourite item on the website

Those red leather Nike track pants! And the red Mosh jacket

C: What’s your daily uniform

Jeans jeans jeans

C: 3 things and the story behind them

The vintage chanel sweatshirt from Chillie!!!

The jacket I borrowed from a friend to find it after lockdown

Piece of furniture ( does this count??) that I put a note thro the door after lockdown and got

C: Vintage or rental?

Always vintage

C: How do you feel about social media

Has good and bad parts.

C: How do you prioritise mental health

I’m lucky to live in central london, near some parks…I literally walk everywhere I possibly can, I have to go outside everyday even in the rain, I love the rain actually! If I have time u can see me sitting in a bus stop just watching…. I love trees and weirdly know a lot of their names and I like to watch them ever changing. If only trees could talk………. Nature is so good for us, even 5 mins in the fresh air.

C: Which media outlets do you like to get your news from?

I read papers on line mainly. I try to watch the news in the evening if I can.