Shawl Chic: Faux Fur vs. Real Fur – Styling Tips & How to Spot the Difference
Faux fur or real fur for a shawl: how each one wears, how to look after real fur, and how to tell the two apart by touch, by the base and by the price.
A fur shawl comes two ways: faux or real. The choice is partly about ethics. It is also about what suits your wardrobe, and what you are prepared to look after. So how do you tell them apart, and how do you wear each one?
I have one of my own, from Andorra.
The Case for Faux Fur
Faux fur has come a long way. The good ones are now hard to tell from the real thing unless you look closely, and designers use it far more than they did. You get the look without the ethical question.
It is light, and it needs much less care than real fur. Heat and humidity will not ruin it. It also comes in colours real fur rarely does, from neon pink to deep emerald green. If you want a shawl in a strong colour, faux is where to look.
Real Fur
Real fur is softer and heavier, and it is very warm, which makes it a practical thing to own in the cold months. On the shoulders it changes an outfit at once.
But it comes with responsibility. You don’t throw real fur over a hanger and forget it. It needs its own space, away from sunlight, humidity and moths. And it costs real money, so it is for people who will look after it.
How to Wear Faux Fur
Faux fur is the playful one. It goes over jeans as easily as over an evening dress, and because it is lighter you can layer it without the outfit swallowing you.
A strong colour against a plain fitted dress works well: deep emerald with copper, for instance. Pin a vintage brooch to the shawl to hold it in place. It also travels well. It goes into a suitcase and comes out without a crease.
How to Wear Real Fur
With real fur, keep everything else simple. The shawl is the centrepiece, so it doesn’t need bright colours or much jewellery around it. The classic version is one colour: a sleek black dress, red lips and a mink shawl.
And wear it as though you mean it. If you hesitate, it shows.
Spotting the Difference: Real or Faux
- Touch. Real fur is softer. Run your fingers through it and the hair flows and has a sheen. Faux fur is plush, but a little stiffer.
- The base. Part the hairs and look at what they are attached to. Real fur sits on leather. Faux fur sits on a fabric or synthetic backing.
- The price. Real fur costs more, because there is more work in it. Faux fur is cheaper and is often mass-produced.
With the best faux fur it can still be hard to tell. That is where a trained eye and experience come in.
Don’t forget your brooch.
How to Choose
It comes down to your life, your ethics and what you want from your wardrobe. If you want warmth, weight and tradition, and you will store it properly, choose real fur. If you want colour, lightness and no ethical question, choose faux.
For me, it is vintage fur. I buy it because it is sustainable, it keeps me warm, and it is respectful to the animal that once was.
Either way, wear it with confidence.
