Looking back to the 1990s, it seemed that the future of fur clothing was in jeopardy. All over the world, the backlash against the fur trade resulted in racks and racks of fur coats, fur stoles, mink coats–and even fur hats–being pulled from department stores. For all intents and purposes, it seemed that wearing fur had become an archaic and hugely unpopular practice.

However, the introduction of renewable and ethical fur sources has resulted in a slow but sure resurgence of the fur industry. In certain high fashion capitals all over the world, fur trimmings began to become more prominent features of new creations, although there is still a noticeable hesitation to flaunt fur items outright. To this day, certain magazines still refuse to feature fur coats or other clothing in which the fur coat is a major component, although a small section of fur such as on the cuff or on the collar are largely seen as acceptable.

The divide between proponents and critics of fur has resulted in a compromise of sorts, in which certain sectors view the wearing of vintage furs as acceptable. The reasoning behind this trend toward vintage fur jackets and other fur apparel is that these items are already on the market anyway, and wearing them causes no further harm to any animals.

We’re going to leave the discussion of whether or not wearing fur is “acceptable” to other publications. Suffice it to say however, that wearing older and even second-hand fur pieces in cold weather is becoming mostly acceptable. And of course there are still many prominent manufacturers of fur clothing all over the world. With the undeniable allure of fur clothing however, it is probably only a matter of time when the issue is settled once and for all.