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COAT £136, FRIENDTEX mkhai SNOOD £35, ECLECTIC Faux or real? Every year, fashion week brings a sense of excitement and wonder. The new lines, the beautiful people, the PETA protests. Ria Wolstenholme explores the truth behind faux and real fur. L BOBBLE HAT £19.99, ELLIS COLLECTIONS JACKET WITH STOLE £150, PENNYBLACK AT VOISINS 28 et’s be real, the world of fashion is very fi rmly divided when it comes to the topic of fur. Real versus faux, you’ll have arguments for either side, from some of the most unexpected people. People will jump at the chance to defend the world and its adorable furry creatures. How dare we put them in our clothes and adorn them like trophies. But, you know, a steak doesn’t matter. Because those animals are meant for that. Th ere’s a chink in the armour with this theory. Th is idea that using an animal’s skin and fur to make our clothes is barbaric; but slaughtering them on a mass scale and selling their fl esh in a supermarket is OK? Something doesn’t add up. Th at said, those eco friendly save the earth types should think twice when they put on a faux fur piece in protest of the real deal. Faux fur is commonly made with petroleum, a non-renewable compound that will not biodegrade. Th e warmth and breathability isn’t the same, the colours not as vivid or realistic and it is just very obviously fake. Th e worst thing for faux lovers is that they’re not always being told the truth about what level of faux their garments are. High street stores in the UK carry fur-free policies, not supporting the fur industry at all. However, due to labelling laws and guidelines, only 80% of the materials used in the product have to be declared. Th is means that certain adornments such as pompoms, fur trims and embellishments could actually be real animal fur. Th e fast fashion industry we are all accustomed to means that each season brings new things and trends to buy in to. Th is throw away mentality means that many people buy faux fur products, keep them for a year or so and get rid of them. Th ey end up in land fi lls, unable to degrade. Real fur, on the other hand, biodegrades naturally in six months to a year.