Fur coats in London...or anywhere else
 

My husband and I are planning another visit to London and another couple will be with us. We are planning to be there at the end of November and the first part of December. The wife of the couple really thinks she needs to bring her mink coat. I have a fox fur coat but no one where we live ever wears fur even if it is real cold outside. My question is...should I just let her do her thing or encourage her to leave it at home? I don't want to hurt her feelings or offend her. We live in Texas and we consider ourselves blessed if we see any flakes of snow once every 10 years. We live in the lower part of Texas where we hardly have any cold weather and often we have our air conditioners on in November, December, January. I really appreciate any comments that will be offered.

We where just in Madrid for the New Years and the 12 days of Christmas in and around Catalonia. Fur coats were quite common where ever we went.

Thanks for the reply Robert. I will go with what you observed and be happy she'll get to where her mink and I think I'll bring my fox and enjoy wearing it since I've probably only worn it 4-5 times max.

Why not just let her do her thing? It sounds like she's looking for an excuse to wear her mink...

When we were in London over Thanksgiving, we were thrilled to have our waterproof/windproof down coats, as it's important to us be be comfortable while out and about, so as to be able to see and do as much as possible.

A mink is heavy, you have to be "careful", and get out of the rain. Not very practical.

Leave the furs at home. They are extrememly heavy and no comment if you get caught in the rain. Take something a little more practical and leave the flash at home. You'll be happy you did.

Fur coats are far more common (and dare I say accepted) in Spain than in the UK. Attitudes towards animal rights issues in the two countries are very different indeed.
Although fur is making something of a comeback in the UK (mostly rabbit fur as trim), many people feel very strongly about the wearing of fur and your friend should be prepared for some negative or hostile comments (at the very least). Personally I'd advise her to leave it at home.

Another concern is that fur coats tend to scream money and if the wearer is a tourist, there's a chance that they will be seen as a particularly lucrative target for bag snatchers, pickpockets etc.

Fur coats should not, under any circumstances whatsoever, be worn in Britain.

They're unnecessary in the first place: the problem here is chilly rain. That requires light rainproofing, not heavy furs - especially in late autumn. when you're planning to visit. And that's the real reason no-one, except for the occasional insensitive opera goer from Milan or Vienna, wears them.

More importantly, there's a significant group of deranged animal rights supporters in Britain. There is a real (though not huge) chance a fur coat will be slashed, have paint thrown at it or be vandalised in some way. There's a higher (and quite likely)chance a fur coat wearer will become an object of public derision or moderate roughing from mainstream London louts.

And she'll get little sympathy or help from Londoners. Because fur coats are irrelevant here, the overwhelming majority opinion is that the fur trade is built on unnecessary cruelty to animals, and that fur wearers are complicit in this cruelty. And are flashy show-offs, which is a much greater social offence here than making animals suffer.

So although 99.9% of us think fur coat slashers are criminals, 99.8% will think that their victims asked for it.

Whether you approve of this view is irrelevant to this question. If she wants to keep her mink intact, and to avoid being a public laughing stock, leave the furs in Texas.

I'm with flanner on this one - also - who wants to smell like a wet cat?

Flanner is quite right.
She won't get glances of envy, only glances of ridicule or hostility.
Also, you'll find that you have to take taxis everywhere.
Imagine a mink-clad woman on a bus or on the Tube ;-)

OK, so how are you planning to TELL her about all of this (and not hurt her feelings?)

Show her
http://tinyurl.com/98ccm
and
http://www.veggies.org.uk/event.php?ref=782

If you don't pass these comments on to her as your opinion, why should she feel offended by you?

I can see it might be a bit sensitive if you're worried you'll get backlash if she does wear it and something unpleasant happens.

But you could say people who live in London say she'd probably be uncomfortably warm in it and not wear it more than once anyway.

Another endorsement of everything Flanner said. Madrid is a FAR cry from London in attitudes to fur. What's more, in early November, she will BOIL in a fur coat.

Just confirming what everone else has said

1)The UK is more wet than cold at that time of year - fur is not practical

2) There is a strong anti-fur feeling here, she is very likely to get nasty looks and comments.

3) people will assume she is very wealthy - not good for a tourist.

If she wants to wear a fur coat then let her wear it. Fur is luxurious, classic, and elegant... on the right person of course.

As for anti-fur sentiments, ignore these stupid people who have nothing better to do in life. Do we see them running into butchers and throwing steaks out of the door? No.

Well, whether you agree with the anti-fur sentiments or not, wearing a fur will attract a lot of negative attention.

Who wants to deal with that on their holiday?

Just don't go near Harrods - the anti fur people are always protesting outside.

mkingdom, I don't believe anyone here is using this thread to make political comments (aside from youself of course) - we're simply trying to give honest advice about the pros and cons of wearing fur in London.

luvlondon:

Please tell your friend to leave her mink coat home and you should leave your fox fur home. Not needed on this holiday.

Sandy

Why lug extra baggage around? Enjoy the holiday - no need to worry whether the coat will get soiled, pinched etc,etc