What Is Faux Fur Trim?
No animals have to give up their lives for you to satisfy your "wild-thing" impulses. Just make sure your clothes and accessories are trimmed with faux (fake) fur to enjoy high fashion as well as a clean conscience. The fur of nearly any animal you can think of is available in faux fur at craft or fabric stores.
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Manufacturing
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Fabrics called modacrylics are used to make faux fur trims. Modacrylics are created from polymer fibers, will not absorb moisture and dry quickly. They can be dyed to match the true color of any animal fur or colored with vivid, eye-popping dyes.
Fun Fact
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Starting in 1929, the first faux furs were made using alpaca hair. Unfortunately, they were often available only in the natural colors of the alpaca's own hair and were skimpy compared with the dense luxury of real fur.
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Benefits
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Faux fur trims are an affordable and humane option for anyone looking to spice up their wardrobe with an animal fur trim. Every faux fur must be labeled "imitation," as required by the U.S. government.
Effects
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To achieve a natural fur effect, the modacrylic fabric is machine-combed, adding luster, and treated with applications of chemicals, such as resin and silicone, to create a more realistic look and feel.
Potential
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The use of faux fur trim is limited only by your imagination. Liven up the wrist cuffs or collar of a coat or dress. Make a pattern from newspaper or butcher paper the exact size of the collar and cuffs, cut the fur trim using the pattern, line with a similarly colored fabric, and attach to the garment with small, sewn-on snaps.
Insight
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The modacrylic fur is attached to a woven backing of either cotton, wool or polypropylene, which can then be measured and cut to size.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Mary Osborne
