I read the other day that the garment worn most frequently by fashion juniors, interns, assistants and editors at London Fashion Week 2011 was their grandmother's fur stole. Certianly it struck me while I was there that there was an inordinate amount of real fur around. And not just fur stoles and gilets. Sheepskin coats, shearling jackets and rabbit collars were big too. Everywhere you looked the cold was being combatted with furry creature comforts.
Now, let me say I am not someone who wears fur. I do wear very carefully chosen leather shoes and accessories and I limit my consumption of animal food products. In other words, I am a very conscious consumer of products that impact on animal's lives and our environment. And I would never, ever promote the use of animal fur for fashion.
I am simply reporting the trends as I see them. And real fur is back. Sorry.
There is also the small issue that vintage fur is a grey area that has allowed fur back into vogue, back onto the front row, back into permissible use. I won't be wearing it myself, but I do understand the reuse of vintage pieces. Nothing was killed in your lifetime for the garment to exist and the vintage, granny-chic look is massive this winter. So do what you feel is appropriate, but never take our planet or its inhabitants for granted please! That's all I ask. Good.