Fur

The term fur refers to the body hair of non-human mammals also known as the pelage (like the term plumage in birds). Fur comes from the coats of animals; the animal's coat may consist of short ground hair, long guard hair, and, in some cases, medium awn hair. Not all mammals have fur; animals without fur may be referred to as "naked", as in The Naked Ape and naked mole rat.

Fur usually consists of two main layers:

• Ground hair or underfur — the bottom layer consisting of wool hairs which tend to be shorter, flattened, curly and denser than the top layer.
• Guard hair — the top layer consisting of longer straight shafts of hair that stick out through the underfur. This is usually the visible layer for most mammals and contains most of the pigmentation.

Fur clothing is clothing made entirely of, or partially of, the fur of animals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, becoming widely used as primitive humans left Africa and entered cooler regions. Modern cultures continue to wear fur and fur trim, as dictated by fashion trends. Although it was once one of the most common forms of clothing many people consider fur a luxury item. Its continued use in modern society is surrounded by controversy, on welfare and ethical grounds. The term 'a fur' is often used to refer to a fur coat, wrap, or shawl.

a fur mozetta, canon, flanders

History and usage

Fur is generally thought to have been among the first materials used for clothing and bodily decoration. The exact date when clothes were first used is debated (see Clothes). Several species of hominoids including Homo sapiens and Homo neandertalis used fur clothing.

Whatever its form (mink, fox, chinchilla, rabbit, seal, sheepskin, beaver, muskrat, raccoon, etc), fur clothing is worn in virtually every country. They are especially popular in colder countries due to their excellent insulation. The Eskimo peoples of the Arctic relied on fur for most of their clothing, and it also forms a part of traditional Russian, Scandinavian and Japanese clothing. Today, winter clothes such as scarves and coats or coat trimmings are the garments most commonly made from fur.

Animal furs used in garments and trim may be dyed bright colors or to mimic exotic animal patterns: alternatively they may be left their original pattern and colour. Fur may be shorn down to imitate the feel of a soft velvet fabric.

Fur industry

Common animal sources for fur clothing and fur trimmed accessories include:

• fox
• wolf
• rabbit
• mink
• beaver
• ermine
• otter
• sable
• raccoon
• coyote
• chinchilla
• seal
• domestic cat
• raccoon dog
• domestic dog
• civet cat
• badger
• otter

Most fur is obtained from animals farmed specifically for the purpose, primarily mink and fox. Many animals, however, particularly beaver and seal, are taken from the wild for their fur, meat, oil and other products. Currently, there are no federal laws regulating these industries.

The manufacturing of fur clothing involves obtaining animal pelts where the hair is left on the animal's processed skin. In contrast, leather made from any animal hide involves removing the fur from the skin and using only the tanned skin. The use of wool involves shearing the animal's hair from the living animal, so that the wool can be regrown. Fake fur or "faux fur" designates any synthetic material, produced from oil, that attempts to mimic the appearance and feel of real fur.

The chemical treatment of fur to increase its felting quality is known as carroting, as the process tends to turn the tips of the fur a yellowish-red "carrot like" colour.

Controversy

Anti-fur campaigns reached a peak in the 1980s and 1990s, with the participation of numerous celebrities.[1]

Animal welfare advocates object to the trapping and killing of wildlife and to the confinement and killing of animals on fur farms' when many synthetic alternatives are available. Fur advocates argue that fur is a renewable resource and that synthetic fur is a petroleum product and is therefore more harmful to the environment than genuine fur.

One of the most controversial areas of the fur industry is the annual seal hunt held in Canada. Many have criticised the hunt as being cruel: however, defenders of the hunt and the Canadian government biologists state that it is humane and sustainable. In Canada, a 2000 government survery showed two thirds of Canadians supported the seal hunt as regulated under Canadian law. Three quarters of Canadians were not opposed to the seal hunt, after being informed of these regulations. One quarter was opposed.

Products from all marine mammals, even from abundant populations and regulated hunts, such as the Canadian seal hunt, are banned in the United States.

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fur_clothing&action=history

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fur&action=history

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html