The Difference Between Artificial Fur And Real Fur And How To Distinguish

What is Artificial Fur?

Artificial Fur is a term used to describe synthetic fabrics created to mimic the aesthetics of animal fur. It is often used interchangeably with faux fur. To create this faux fabric, many manufacturers use a mix of acrylic and other synthetic materials that are stitched together to make it look like real fur accessories. Since the material used is more durable than real fur, they can be dyed any color and made in different thicknesses. Faux fur is more durable than real fur, easier to work with and ethically sourced, and doesn't require expensive care and storage. Because of this, more and more people are turning to faux fur, and the animal fur industry is slowly declining.

What is real fur?

Real fur is just what it sounds like. It is made from real fur from live animals and is used to produce accessories, coats, blankets, and more. To get a real fur garment, it is usually necessary to kill hundreds of animals. Real fur can come from many different animals, but the most common are chinchillas, foxes, wolves, rabbits, bobcats, and more. Because production requires hundreds of animals and the expense of caring for them is high, the animals are often held unethically until they die. Crowded in small cages where the disease is rampant, the animals are under extreme stress. The actual slaughter of animals is also very inhumane, which is one of the reasons many people switch to faux 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 attempt to mimic the look of animal fur. Real fur comes directly from the 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 single coat. Around 50 million animals are killed every year just to produce real fur products - faux fur requires 0 animals to be killed.

Faux fur is more durable and will stand the test of time without costly cleaning and care procedures. Many high-quality faux fur products can be washed in the comfort of your own 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 a climate-controlled unit.

How to tell if your fur is faux or real

If you're looking to add something to your wardrobe, but don't necessarily want to support an animal fur company, it's important to know how to tell the two apart.

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 what was used to make the garment or accessory. However, there have been reports of mislabelling or false labeling when people try to sell faux fur as real fur. Some labels can also be complex and difficult to decipher if you are not familiar with certain industry-specific aspects.

Check the brand - some brands are entirely faux fur (like Pretty Rugged!), while others only use animal fur. If the brand is reputable, you should be able to tell if your item is made of 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 and the number of animals required. That's not to say faux fur is "cheap," but it's usually much less expensive.

Feel the Fur - Animal fur is usually very soft to the touch. A lot of faux furs are rough to the touch, but with recent technological developments, faux fur is starting to take on a more "real" feel.

Look at the underside of the fur – faux fur tends to have a backing made of fabric, while real fur is attached to the bottom of the garment via leather or animal skin. You should be able to tell just by looking at the bottom, but sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between high-quality faux clothing and real fur.

Check the tips of the hairs - You can also check the tips of the hairs to help tell the difference. Real fur is like hair - tapering to a point. Faux fur has blunt tips and ends abruptly. Again, this can be harder to tell if you're buying a high-quality faux product.

Try the burn test - try pulling some fur out of your clothing if possible. Real fur will burn and smell like burnt hair. Faux fur will burn like molten plastic.
Do a pin test - if you stick a pin in the garment and there are no issues, it's faux fur. Due to the thick leather lining, the real fur is difficult to pin through.