How to Identify Fake Fox Fur

Fake fur is an animal-friendly and fashionable choice.

The popularity of fake furs has increased with the public's awareness of animal conservation and animal rights. Because of this, fake furs look more realistic, and it can be hard to tell whether they are genuine. There are tests that you can perform to check whether a fox fur is genuine or fake; most of these require you to examine the fox fur in person. However, even through photographs, you can look for some indications about the nature of the fur in question.

Things You'll Need

• Photograph of genuine fox fur
• Photograph of fox fur in question
• Fox fur
• Good light
• Scissors
• Straight pin
• Cigarette lighter

Instructions

How To Tell Faux Fox From Real Fox Fur

1. 

   It is easier to evaluate a photographed fur if it's worn by a model.

   Compare a photograph of the fox fur in question with one showing a genuine fox fur. The photograph should ideally show the fur worn by a model, and be clear and sharp. Like most long-haired furs, fox is hard to imitate well and it should be fairly easy to tell if it is real or fake in a good photograph. A faux fox will not appear to have any seams, and will look lighter in weight than a genuine fur.

2. 

   Real fox fur is composed of a soft undercoat and longer top hairs.

   Touch the fox fur and run your fingers over it. A genuine fox will feel very soft and smooth. A faux fox will be coarser in texture.Then take a good look at the fur under a good light. Check to see whether there is a soft, fairly dark, woolly bottom layer. A genuine fox will have this layer, and there will be longer hairs on the top. The coloring of the longer top hairs will be lighter and vary in shading. In addition, genuine top hairs will have pointed ends. A faux fox will have hairs that are uniform in length, color and texture.

3. 

   Push a straight pin through the fox fur to test the backing.

   Examine the backing of the fur. You will probably need to cut a little of the satin lining of the coat with scissors in order to do so; a seller may not allow you do this. If so, you can part the fur in several places and look at the backing that is revealed. Leather backing indicates that the fur is real. A faux fox may have a synthetic, ribbed backing that looks a bit like knitted fabric, or will show evidence of stitching.

   Another way that you can check the backing is to push a straight pin through the coat. A genuine fur's leather backing will be difficult to pierce. But the pin should go through a synthetic faux fur backing quite easily.

4. 

   Use a cigarette lighter to test fox fur hairs by burning them.

   Finally, if you own the fox fur, remove a few hairs from the coat and singe them with a cigarette lighter. Real fox fur hairs will turn to ash quickly and smell singed just as human hairs do. Fake fox hairs will melt and smell like plastic. The heat may also form small balls of plastic at the ends of the hairs.

5. 

Tips & Warnings

• The burn test should only be performed by adults and never on hairs still attached to the coat.

• Labels are not always a good indication of whether a fur is real. Fur Label Authority labels are found on genuine furs but only after 1951; many manufacturers make both real and faux furs with similar labels.

• If a genuine fox fur has been sheared, it may not have pointed or tapered top hairs.

• Some fashion pieces marketed as faux fur actually are made of dog fur; be wary of any piece being sold as faux fur that looks and feels real.

References

• Humanesociety.org: Field Guide Real Vs. Fake Fur
• lucyandlolita.com: Faux Fur Vs. Real Fur
• eBay Reviews: Real Vs. Fake Fur