Trending Faux
Faux fur makes a return to the forefront of fashion to help us channel our inner maximalist mob-wife and turn a boring look into a statement, but is this trend sustainable?
Kylie Jenner modelling a floor-length faux fur jacket, part of her fashion brand, Khy’s, new collection. Available via IG @kyliejenner. ⓒ All rights belong to their retrospective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
As we ditch the leather jackets and puffer coats this season, faux fur is taking its spot in our wardrobe as the timelessly chic garment re-enters the fashion realm again. This '60s staple is a reappearing trend in fashion, with faux fur dominating in the '60s, '70s, '80s and now we see it taking over the high street, fashion shows, and celebrity style today. This maximalist garment can accompany or elevate any outfit, whether you want to channel elegance, decadence, or turn heads in any room you walk in, making a statement and being the perfect winter addition to a look.
Being a staple and brought to the limelight by stars like Diana Ross, Madonna, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss, this old Hollywood meets mob-wife style has now become a fashion trend spreading through luxury and high street brands globally. Whether it's floor length, cropped, or an average waist-length style, the classic and versatile faux fur jacket is inescapable in fashion currently. With A-List celebrities like Hailey Bieber rocking the Ferragamo statement garment in popular winter holiday destinations, Aspen, and Kate Moss sticking to her notable rockstar chic style, pairing a simple silk slip dress with a bold edgy faux fur jacket, embracing her iconic indie sleaze era.
Kate Moss leaving Dior Men’s Fall 2025 show available at Vogue and Hailey Beiber rocking faux fur in Aspen, 2025. Image courtesy of Backgrid for Harper's Bazaar. ⓒ All rights belong to their retrospective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
However, it isn't all about the trend; we must also appreciate luxury brands in particular putting the FAUX in faux fur, the rise in alternatives of the once animal-based material being used across most brands and we start to finally say goodbye to the harm of animals for fashion. Fur jackets, in particular, were once a symbol of wealth and decadence based on the animal it was created from in the early 20th Century and slowly began fading after the anti-fur movements of the '70s, leading to the gradual rise in popularity for faux fur since. While indulging and embracing this vintage and stylish trend, we must also look at its rich and unpleasant history and how far brands have come to support animal rights and embrace faux fur being just as beautiful and impactful, if not more.
Fur jackets have always been a renowned luxury item, however, with their recent rise to popularity high street brands have coined onto the trend, allowing them to be more accessible to the masses, growing the impact of faux fur in the industry. Several high street brands have also showcased a range of faux jackets and garments in their winter season collections this year, showing the trend has no intention of fading anytime soon while boosting its popularity and influence in fashion, especially the younger generation who may not understand the cultural significance and legacy of fur in the fashion industry and history.
Whether you want to embrace your inner old Hollywood or channel your inner Carmela Soprano or just to spice up a plain everyday look, the fur jackets' power to effortlessly transform a look has shone through fashion for decades, becoming a necessity and I don’t think it's the last time we will see the legacy of the faux fur, a touch of vintage in a modern outfit being a trend growing more and more popular, however, among this popularity we must stop to consider the environmental impact of faux fur. Despite it refraining from animal cruelty and moving in the right direction morally, is the fur alternative sustainable?
Mob-wife, Carmela Soprano wearing her staple fur coat, from popular US drama series, The Sopranos 1999. Image courtesy of Marie Claire via yahoo!life. ⓒ All rights belong to their retrospective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
It may not directly harm animals, but its non-biodegradable and unsustainable material indirectly does, the material taking up to 1,000 to fully biodegrade so therefore being a damaging contribution to pollution. With the faux fur trend growing in fashion currently, we must question what this popular material’s impact on our environment and how the more it may grow as a trend amongst a wide population, the higher its destructive impact on our planet. With its components being synthetic and mostly polyester, the biodegradability in addition to the carbon emissions from its production may potentially outweigh its fashion benefits, particularly if numerous fast-fashion brands are also jumping on the trend bandwagon.
Post-consumerist fashion is a movement within the industry that brands, including fast-fashion brands, are attempting to incorporate within their company to help combat wastage and pollution as a result of non-biodegradable materials such as faux fur. Post-consumerism is the process of recycling, repairing, or repurposing clothing, whether that's thrifting, second-hand or turning a pair of jeans into a skirt, more and more brands are trying to incorporate this relatively recent movement within fashion into their own sustainability campaigns. This eye-opening alternative reduces pollution created by harmful materials such as polyester on top of also adhering to the values of many younger adults and Gen-Z who, as a generation, are much more environment conscious, with the rise in thrifting and second-hand culture therefore meaning brands must keep up and follow this too.
Thrift Store faux fur jackets that are of the post-consumerist fashion movement. Available at Vanity Stories. ⓒ All rights belong to their retrospective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
With this in mind, faux fur may be a harmful alternative to the already destructive and immoral original fur, but it depends on how you use it and what the brands' sustainability values consist of. Before joining this growing and timeless trend and channeling your inner mob-wife, make sure to purchase a faux fur jacket that will not just last a long time and will not need to be trashed after a few months, but be conscious of the brands' contribution to the post-consumerist movement too, while also taking this movement within your own stride.
