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Fur is as synonymous with autumn as florals with spring. M&S, Zara and Next have all released their faux fur ranges in recent weeks, and this year, it's all about the fur trim coats, fuzzy cuffs and statement collars rather than full-on fluff.
Made from synthetic fibres, faux fur is often seen as an affordable and cruelty-free alternative to fur that can look as luxurious as the real thing – but only if you know what to look for.
Hester Moore runs the luxury faux fur brand Helen Moore, a Devon-based business founded by her mother in 1982 that has been stocked in Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, Liberty, The National Gallery and various boutique stores and hotels. She believes viewing faux fur as an alternative to real fur is misguided.
'I just see it as a beautiful piece that I want to wear,' Moore says. 'I think that there was a time when people were looking for it to be an alternative, so wanting to pretend it was real fur, whereas now I think that it sits on its own as a fabric.'
That said, buying poorly made faux fur can make an outfit look tacky. Bald patches, matted clumps and eye-blinding sheens can take you from glamorous nonna to Kat Slater.
Faux fur is an affordable and cruelty-free alternative to fur that can look as luxurious as the real thing
With a range of options, both high-end and on the high street, how do you know what makes a chic fur outfit and what belongs in the fancy-dress box? Moore shares her seven faux fur red flags.
1. It feels stiff or spiky
According to Moore, giving the fur a quick rub is the quickest way to tell if your faux fur is a faux pas. If it feels stiff or rough, it's likely to have been made with poor-quality fibres, which can make the piece look matt and tangled a short time after wear.
'We'll do what we call a rub test when we're selecting our fabrics,' she says. 'You give it a big rub, and it should feel soft and fluid, and it shouldn't crunch up and matte in any way.'
2. You can see the backing
Moore says one of the key clues to badly made faux fur is the backing, the base material that holds the faux fur in place: 'If you blow on it and you can see the backing, then it's a cheap faux fur,' she explains. Sparse backing means the density of the fur fibres is low, resulting in greater shedding, thinning and bald patches.
'It used to be that if you couldn't see the backing, it's more likely to be real fur, but the faux fur [we have now] is so dense in its fibres that you shouldn't see the backing at all,' Moore adds.
3. It doesn't drape well
Don't overlook the drape, Moore warns. This is the way the fabric sits on you: how it folds and whether it stays on your body or moves around.
'If you're looking at a cheaper alternative on the high street, it might have a thick satin lining – like a satin polyester – and that will take away the drape. Whereas we'll use a soft velvet lining, and then you get those nice folds, which you would expect from real fur as well,' says Moore. The cheap satin materials are also very cold and slippery, meaning your fur hat, scarf or collar can move around and slip off easily.
4. It's either too shiny or too dull
When it comes to sheen, a good-quality faux fur should sit right in the middle between dull and shiny enough to blind those around you.
'You don't want to be looking for a reflection because that reflection will be flat and hasn't got a lovely texture to it,' says Moore. 'But you do want a bit of shine. You want something that's got movement, and under shop lights, it's quite easy to see.'
5. It sheds easily
Excessive shedding is a sign that your faux fur coat will be bald before winter is out.
'If fibres are coming off on your hand in the shop, they're definitely going to come off your hand in on your coat,' says Moore. 'You can do a tug test, so you can pull at it a little bit.' High-quality faux fur will shed minimally or not at all.
6. The fibres are the same length
Real fur is rarely uniform; it naturally consists of different layers, which help insulate heat to keep you warm.
In faux fur, this is mimicked by using a mix of shorter and longer fibres. 'That's what gives it the real density that you're looking for and more of a natural look,' Moore says.
7. Poor seaming
Checking if your faux fur is good quality goes beyond the fur itself. The manufacturing – the way the garment has been put together – can be a massive clue in quality.
'If the fibres have been tucked into the seam, then it hasn't been made well,' Moore explains. 'You don't want to see fibres coming out of seams. We brush out every single seam to make sure that no fibres have been sewn in. If they are sewn in, then you get a jagged look which is especially important in something like a hat, where you can end up looking all lopsided.'
What if you're shopping online?
While it's always best to shop for your faux fur in-store, there are some clues you can spot when shopping online.
'I'd probably be looking to see where it's been made, [ideally] in the UK,' says Moore. 'I think that does help because you know that the care and attention have been put into the way it's been put together. You can look at the density of the fabric, and if they have good pictures, you can see if it's a short hair or long hair.'
And does price always indicate quality? According to Moore, yes.
'I think a £15 faux fur hat from the high street is not a good investment,' she says. 'I'm happy that there are faux fur hats out there for everyone, but I think the [biggest mistake people make is that] they're looking to buy into a trend quickly. You shouldn't be investing in a piece if you don't expect to still have it in ten years.'
How should you care for your faux fur?
Don't scrunch your gloves or scarves away in a drawer – always hang your faux fur items in the wardrobe and give them plenty of air, says Moore.
'If you're caught out in the rain in your fur, let it dry and then shake it to bring it back to life again. Don't put it on a radiator because it can frizzle them,' she says. 'You can even take a dog brush to it. I'll take my hairbrush to a scarf and that brings it back to life a little bit.' If it gets dirty, Moore recommends a sponge clean or taking it to the dry cleaners.
If you invest in high-quality faux fur and care for it properly, Moore is confident they will last a lifetime. 'Some people still have their grandmother's mink scarf from the 1940s,' Moore says. 'We should be thinking [about faux fur] in the same way.'