Fur clothing
Fur clothing consists of garments made wholly or partly from animal pelts, with the fur retained for warmth, appearance, or both.
Animal pelt: An animal’s skin with its hair, wool, or fur attached, preserved for use as a material. Fur garments use the pelt as their basic material, with the hair left attached.
Fur dressing: The preparation of pelts through cleaning, softening, and other treatments before garment making. Dressing makes raw pelts pliable and suitable for cutting and sewing.
Fur coat: A coat made wholly or partly from animal pelts with the fur retained. The coat is the best-known full-length form of fur clothing.
Animal welfare: The condition of animals as shaped by their health, behavior, and treatment. Concerns about animals raised or trapped for pelts drive opposition to fur clothing.
Down insulation: Thermal insulation made from the soft underfeathers of birds, usually enclosed in textile compartments. Down provides warmth without a fur pelt and is widely used in cold-weather clothing.
Fur: The dense coat of soft hairs covering many mammals, especially when used as a material. The retained hair provides fur clothing’s characteristic texture and insulation.
Fur sewing: The joining of fur pelts with specialized stitches and equipment. Seams must hold the leather side together while protecting the visible fur.
Fur hat: A hat made wholly or partly from animal fur or fur-bearing pelts. Fur hats concentrate insulation around the head and are common in cold climates.
Fur farming controversy: Public and political disputes over the welfare and environmental effects of raising animals for fur. Fur clothing depends partly on an industry challenged over captive-animal conditions.
Wool: A textile fiber obtained mainly from the coats of sheep and other mammals. Wool is a renewable animal fiber spun into fabric rather than worn as a pelt.