Tools of Attraction: Fur
Four New Yorkers on the politics of pelts.
by Moze Halperin, Maura Hehir, and Rachel Krantz
Dale, 20
So when is it acceptable to start wearing a fur hat?
That's a good question… Thanksgiving on, I'd say.
Why not earlier?
It's jumping the gun a little bit.
Do you have to go with real fur, or is fake alright?
Um, I usually do fake. I prefer fake.
So why did you go with fur? Is it for warmth or for style?
A little bit of both. I'm basically miserable in the city when it’s freezing cold. I hate winter, so I wanted something I could feel really comfortable in.
Do you think it makes you look tougher? More... huntsman-like?
[laughs] It depends. I don't think I look tough, but maybe it does add to the toughness a little bit.
Do people ever ask you about your hat?
This is actually the first time I've worn it out.
Oh, so this is a brand new hat!
Yes.
Did you feel a little nervous about wearing it for the first time?
Not really. I've worn crazier things around in the street.
Oh yeah? Like what?
Well, last year for Halloween I dressed up as an evil tooth fairy. So I was covered in gross gore, but I also had a pink tutu and a giant staff with a tooth on it. And wings. I think that was definitely the craziest.
Do you think there's a limit on how much fur you can wear?
Yeah, I think there is a limit. I think if you wear too much, it's a little over the top. If you're wearing a fur coat, if you add anything else, it's too much.
Do you worry about your fur getting dirty?
I do, actually. Especially with the hat. Usually I wear product in my hair and I was thinking it might not work so well with this hat, so I didn't wear any today.
Commentarium (5 Comments)
Even the mannequins in London are outrageous...In Camden Market, they were all sneering like Billy Idol.
Helloooo Arielle and Sacha...<3
the hypocrisy generation...do what I say...not what I do
1.The hypocrites here admitted to being hypocrites 2. Just because one person may be hypocritical within the realm of his/her own actions, that doesn't mean that he or she is telling anyone else not "do what they do". For example, Arielle and Sasha are vegetarians who wear fur. While there may be a moral disconnect between those two things, that doesn't mean that they would criticize someone for eating meat. It doesn't mean that they use their eating habits to achieve a sense of moral superiority, does it?
Admission of hypocrisy doesn't somehow make OK. And not only did they admit hypocrisy but then tried to rationalize ("Because to me, if you’re going to wear a pair of leather boots, what’s the difference between a cow’s life and a rabbit’s?"). Like, at least be consistent. If you have the cajones to wear the fur, don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining.
Now you say something