My views on animal rights have always been somewhat conflicted. I certainly advocate for the ethical treatment of animals, yet I eat meat and wear leather.

But for some reason, I could never wear fur.

It’s probably because of the stigma associated with it. Animal rights organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals demonize designers who feature animal fur in their collections and celebrities that wear it.

Last March, a woman associated with PETA “flour-bombed” Kim Kardashian on the red carpet of her perfume launch party because she wore fur.

When Lady Gaga wore a Hermès fur coat, PETA released a statement accusing her of being a hypocrite after publicly saying she doesn’t wear fur. Lady Gaga responded by reprimanding PETA, saying, “I do not support violent, abusive and childish campaigns for any cause.”

She continued by addressing the Kardashian flour-bomb incident, saying, “To campaigners, save your flour to make bread for the children who are hungry. And Kim Kardashian is fabulous.”

While I don’t wear fur myself, I think these activists should respect people’s decisions to wear fur or other animal products. Also, where were the activists when Lady Gaga wore a meat dress to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards? Or when just about every starlet carries the latest designer leather bag?

People have such a visceral reaction to fur because of its resemblance to a live animal. Plus, fur is associated with luxury and wealth, whereas the leather tanning process is less of a resemblance to a carcass.

In the 1980s, aggressive protests led to a steep decline in the sale of fur. A PETA member tossed a dead raccoon onto the plate of Vogue magazine editor in chief Anna Wintour while she dined at the Four Seasons; another tossed a tofu cream pie in designer Oscar de la Renta’s face.

Recently, however, fur has become trendier. According to The New York Times, two-thirds of the collections at New York Fashion Week in 2010 featured fur. Many vegan advocates are trying to change what is considered luxurious and redefine what is cool.

In 2008, vegan actress Natalie Portman released a line of stylish vegan footwear. The shoe line, which retailed for $200 a pair, failed a few months later. Still, most top designers continue to use real leather and fur.

But fur isn’t just confined to old millionaires with floor-length mink coats. Street style blogs are filled with 20- and 30-year-olds wearing luxurious furs outside of fashion shows. Fur is expanding to the young and trendy, even on Syracuse University’s campus. UGG boots are lined with sheepskin, and many girls wear fur vests and fur-trimmed North Face jackets.

Protests from PETA and organizations like it have died down since the 80s and 90s, especially in the fashion sphere. The incidents with Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga showed how their methods are outdated.

PETA bullies anyone who wears fur, calling them “fur hags” on the official PETA website. I respect its right to protest and vocalize its views, but calling Kardashian “mindless” makes it sound like a grade-school bully.

These luxurious fads seem to rise and fall with the economy, and with the current recession, it would seem that a $2,000 fur vest wouldn’t sell well. Yet Ohne Titel sold more than 15 shearling and fox vests, priced just less than $2,000, in the days after its fall 2010 show.

Some of PETA’s protests are overly offensive. At London Fashion Week in 2012, protesters from PETA wearing little black dresses and heels walked down Bond Street holding two dead, skinned foxes and a sign that read, “Here’s the rest of your fur coat.”

I personally don’t wear fur because it doesn’t really suit my style. And even if it did, I definitely can’t afford it. But I respect anyone’s decision to either wear fur, go vegan or somewhere in between.

While I respect animal rights organizations’ right to speak their minds and protest, I think they should find less offensive means that don’t attack individuals.

Allison Mariotti is a senior magazine journalism major. She has too many shoes to count, but could always use another pair. Her fashion column appears every Monday in Pulp. She can be reached at admariot@syr.edu.

Published on March 3, 2013 at 11:34 pm