The Difference And Identification Of Artificial Fur And Real Fur

Faux Fur and real fur

The main difference between faux fur and real fur is the source. Faux fur is made from synthetic materials that try to mimic the look of animal fur. Real fur comes directly from animals and is used to make accessories, coats, and blankets. Faux fur doesn't harm any animals in the process, whereas real fur requires hundreds of animals to make a coat. About 50 million animals are killed every year to produce real fur products - 0 animals need to be killed for faux fur.

Faux fur is more durable and will stand the test of time without expensive cleaning and care procedures. Many high-quality faux fur products can be washed comfortably at home, while real fur requires a dry cleaner that specializes in animal fur. Faux fur can be easily stored year-round, while real fur requires precise conditions that can only be achieved in climate control.

How to tell if your fur is faux or real

If you want to add something to your wardrobe but don't necessarily want to support animal fur companies, it's important to know how to differentiate between the two.

Check the label - The easiest way to tell if something is faux fur or real animal fur is to check the label. If there is a label, it will tell you the material used to make the garment or accessory. However, when people try to sell faux fur as real fur, there are reports of mislabelling or false labelling. Certain labels can also be complex and difficult to decipher if you are not familiar with certain aspects of a particular industry.

Check the brands - some are strictly faux fur (like Pretty Rugged!), while others only use animal fur. If the brand is reputable, you should be able to determine if your item is made from faux fur based on the name.

Consider the price - real fur tends to be much more expensive than faux fur due to the lengthy process required to make the garment and the number of animals required. That's not to say faux fur is "cheaper", but it's usually much cheaper.

Feel the fur - Animal fur is usually very soft to the touch. A lot of faux fur feels rougher, but with recent advances in technology, faux fur has started to take on a more "real" feel.

Look at the bottom of the fur - faux fur tends to have a backing made of fabric, while real fur is attached to the bottom of the garment through leather or animal hide. You should be able to tell by looking at the base, but sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between high-quality faux clothing and real fur.

Check Hair Tips - You can also check hair tips to help differentiate the two. Real fur is like hair - it tapers off. Faux fur has a blunt tip and ends abruptly. Again, this can be harder to tell if you're buying a high-quality man-made product.

Try a burn test - if possible, try pulling out some fur from your clothing. Real fur will burn and smell like burnt hair. Faux fur tends to burn like molten plastic.

Take a pin test - if you've got a pin on the garment and it's fine, it's faux fur. Real fur is more difficult to pierce with a needle due to the thick leather lining used.