Born too late?

[Shy_Fur_Guy]

As somebody who was born in 1979, I kind of feel like I was born a generation too late. I feel that I was too young to appreciate how prevalent furs were in the 80's and since then furs have fallen out of the mainstream with it increasingly unlikely that they will return to the prominence they used to enjoy. Does anyone else feel the same? Or if you are older were the good ole days better from a fur enjoying perspective?

[adusamsi]

The culture of fur is weird. As a younger guy, fur is definitely relevant in hiphop for my generation. I do think its interesting that fur is passé for your generation, shy. Your generation seems like the last one to have given much thought to peta... Even with the waves of fur bans and activists, fur is definitely not falling out of popular culture. People gotta flex, ya feel?

[coastfur]

Got to agree. I am older and as far as I am concerned fur will always be relevant. Whether fashion or fetish

[Panther10]

If the facebook, pinterest and tumblr groups I am a part of are any indication, fur fashion is back in a big way. Probably very near to the levels we saw back in the 80's. I mean sure there aren't furriers at every street corner anymore, but furs are being sold online at a more feverish pace and we have been seeing trends that indicate that reinforce the idea that younger men and women are wearing fur with far more frequency than anyone born before 1979. And the bubble hasn't burst in the last 15 years so I think signs are good

[grouchomg]

I was 48 when I purchased my first fur. At first, I was reluctant to wear it in public, especially because I had a partner at the time who was a closet PETA follower. But as I've accumulated more furs and changed partners, I wear fur in public more and more, though I am much older. (Some have told me that seeing an older male in fur is "stimulating".) I tend to get good reactions.

 

Never to old to wear fur as far as I am concerned.

[dmaninfur]

I agree shy, some people my age (36) don't appreciate it, thought it was a fun day for me when the vegan in the office across from mine tried on my "faux" coat, which is really a black seal coat my mom gave me. (Her dad was a furrier, I've taken up the hobby of wearing some of them.)

[PleasureHound]

Just look at all the furs sold on eBay from China and you will see that fur is in demand.

[Panther10]

Just look at all the furs sold on eBay from China and you will see that fur is in demand.

 

 

No, furs that are sold in china happen in somewhat of a bubble. They are dirt cheap because they are either made from faux or extremely low quality pelts, chinese sellers care more about quantity than quality so they typically just over saturate the market with cheap pelts, despite the lack of quality control from garment to garment. The best way to determine what buyers are really after on eBay is to look for the ratio between expensive pelts and moderately expensive pelts. Buyers who are really willing to spend the money on a fur coat usually dictate the demand because making a well crafted fur is an expensive and laborious process. So the higher the prices for sold items, the more likely it is that the money earned will be invested back into the business of crafting and selling more furs.

Regarding the analytical side of things and figuring out worldwide trends, if you really want to find out where people's demand for furs really lie, check websites like Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest and look for furs on there. The more content there is devoted to furs, the more likely it is that furs are trending. Also, most analytical tools or programs will help determine in which direction those trends are going.

[dmaninfur]

I agree shy, some people my age (36) don't appreciate it, thought it was a fun day for me when the vegan in the office across from mine tried on my "faux" coat, which is really a black seal coat my mom gave me. (Her dad was a furrier, I've taken up the hobby of wearing some of them.)

 

What was her reaction when she found out?

 

 

Abject horror. But then the realization that while the seals had sacrificed their very own softness and lives to keep me warm, it is truly a beautiful coat. I think she still hates me though.

[Furmented]

Fur is flying off my racks! I can barely keep ahead of the sales! Fur is very popular, more than anyone knows!

[Ravens8]

Fur may be flying out of the shops, but where does it go? You never see it on the streets. Maybe sometimes in London, but never in provincial towns.

 

Was I born too late? You ask Shy_fur_guy. I am sorry to say, possibly yes!

 

Back in the sixtys and seventies you saw fur EVERYWHERE, on women and girls of all ages, and usually full fur coats, not just fur trims like you mostly see today. In the fiftys and sixtys, fur stoles were popular too.

 

In London, on Oxford Street, or Kings Road especially there would be at least one girl wearing a proper, real furcoat in sight at any one time. The furs were usually rabbit or fox, jackets or full fur coats 3/4 length, sometimes long, and silver fox boleros usually from 2nd hand stores were very trendy.

 

At my Uni, several girls had rabbit fur coats or jackets, and wore them the whole time, even to lectures, it was considered so normal. (and really brightened up the days)

 

One reason for this was that furs were so available. You had your high end shops, but you didn't have to look far to find fur and leather shops, even in Oxford Street, that specialised in selling more affordable fur coats, usually rabbit, within the price range of many younger women. They even advertised in the papers, and occasionally had sales when the prices could be ridiculously low. Furs were also available in most 2nd hand clothe shops, and in those days they would be displayed openly in the windows.

 

Example? the cute Sally Thompset in a TV advert for "Crunchie"

That guy walking into the bus top sign at the end I suspect could have been any one of us

 

Pop people and fashionistas of the time were often pictured in fur coats. Marianne Faithful, Debbie Harry, Patty Boyd, Francoise Hardy, John and Yoko Lennon, The rolling Stones, Anita Pallenberg, Twiggy to name a few of many, You saw them frequently in furs.

 

So were you born too late? They were good times, but I don't think I will see fur that popular again in my lifetime.

 

I always say that if the fur trade wants to beat the anti fur trend of today, they HAVE to get the young back wearing fur coats again. To do this there has to be more affordable rabbit fur coats readily available and visible in the shops. Ebay is fine, but the furs are not there as a physical, visible presence.

 

You have to be wanting a fur coat to make you look on ebay, whereas a reasonably priced furcoat there in front of you in a shop window can make you want one, either as an impulse buy or an encouragement for you to go back and save, or get the credit card out. Today's rabbit wearers are tomorrows mink and sable wearers.

 

Incidentally we have bought furs from China, and on the whole have been very happy with them. They are often not high quality pelts, but they are not low quality either, and the price reflects what you get, just as it did in the 70's. You probably wouldn't want to wear a very expensive high quality fur as every day wear anyway, and back in the 70's, fur coats were considered normal day wear as well as evening.

 

We have found the workmanship adequate, yes they are mass produced, and sometimes you can be unlucky with a seam parting. Definitely avoid items made from fur pieces though, there are so many stitched joins, that some are bound to fail at some point.

 

I ask the question again. Where are all these people that are making fur jump off the shelves in the shops? Are they wearing their fur coats around the house? because they are certainly not wearing them out to go shopping.

 

(After writing this post I started surfing, and came across this. https://flashbak.com/naked-joy-wearing-fur-photos-1950-1980-57938/

[Guest]

The culture of fur is weird. As a younger guy, fur is definitely relevant in hiphop for my generation. I do think its interesting that fur is passé for your generation, shy. Your generation seems like the last one to have given much thought to peta... Even with the waves of fur bans and activists, fur is definitely not falling out of popular culture. People gotta flex, ya feel?

 

Totally agree with this.

[Guest]

I don't know about anyone else, but I wear my furs in public. I get positive comments and compliments from people ranging in age from teenagers to the elderly, and most commonly from people in their 20s-(early)30s.

[furs limited]

I'm wearing my raccoon coat every day. It's 10 degrees F right now.

I get many compliments and an occasional "petting." I'm warm and most people love the coat.

[Shy_Fur_Guy]

It's nice to see some conversation on this topic, especially when some of you are offering up evidence that I could be wrong in my assertion. This is one of those times that I find it gratifying to hear that there is still a passion for furs outside the members of this group. I am a little jealous because it seems that despite the affluent communities in and surrounding Boston, there is little fur presence except for New Year's Eve. Although, a few days ago I did see two women at the airport in Boston wearing rabbit fur jackets. Here's hoping that means that there will be an upward trend in furs for everyday wear.

[fursince63]

I truly feel I was born about twenty years too late. I have fond memories of people wearing and enjoying fur without all the crazy baggage it comes with now. Fur was much more common and desired from everyday sightings to being featured in all media. I love the more traditional and sumptuous furs of the past. Only those of us who remember the way it was know how far it has fallen out of favor. Sad.