How To Combat PETA When Your Faux Fur Looks REALLY Real

During Stella McCartney’s pre-fall presentation held in NYC this January, there was a tray of favors being passed out between the vegan snacks and flutes of Champagne. Round, pastel-colored, and bite-sized, these disks were way more interesting than the macarons they could've passed for. They were plastic, pin-on badges emblazoned with Stella’s signature pointillist font: “Fur Free Fur.”  A spokesperson from the label confirmed that the pins aren’t for sale, but they mimic a tag that Stella will start adding to the sleeves of her realistic-looking faux fur coats (her pre-fall collection is the first batch to feature them). Loosely sewn on so they can be easily removed, the patches rarely make it out in the real world. But, we bet that there will be a few women out there who will proudly keep them on, and for good reason. When you have an ethical and political rationale for passing on the real deal, the tag is a clever way to make that statement without having to bring it up yourself. (Also handy, as Stella explained to The Cut, if you find yourself and your new furry friend in front of a PETA protestor carrying a can of paint.)  With recent advances in textile technology, it’s incredibly difficult to suss out whether the pelt you’re petting is made of fox or a high-quality acrylic polymer. The fake stuff can be just as soft, warm, and silky, and — conversely — trendy real furs are being dyed in such outlandish colors that they look like they could only have come from a Seussian zoo. Even the most discerning among us have been fooled by a fuzz, and if you don't want anyone to be unclear about which side you fall on, this label can be as important as what it’s stitched onto. Move your heart over a hair; there's more than enough space on your sleeve for both.