'Beware of real fur masquerading as fake even if it is dyed a bright colour,' campaigners say

Animal rights experts have been warned to beware of real fur masquerading as fake even if it is a bright colour.

Campaigners have warned that fur "can de dyed every colour under the sun" and that consumers should still beware of buying it incase it is real.

Animal rights experts have advised shoppers buying faux fur products to “leave the item on the shelf” if they have any concerns at all that it could actually be made of real hair.

The Humane Society International said there is a “very widespread” problem with “hundreds” of real fur products potentially marketed as fake, as it issued advice on the topic.

The comments come after UK clothes retailers were ordered to take immediate action to ensure they are not advertising real fur as faux by the Committees of Advertising Practice.

The Humane Society International executive director Claire Bass said: “The appalling conditions that animals endure on fur farms can mean that real fur can be produced even more cheaply than faux fur.”

With that in mind, multiple retailers have been found to be selling items with real fur masquerading as fake and the Humane Society thinks there could be more.

One key piece of advice was for shoppers to be discerning whatever the colour of the items as fur can be dyed a multitude of colours.

“Bright bobbles add extra confusion for consumers, fur can by dyed every colour under the sun so don’t discount bright blue, pink or orange pompoms from being real,” Ms Bass said.

Moving on to further practical advice, they suggested inspecting the tips of fibres on fur items.

“The easiest and quickest way to distinguish between real fur and faux is by looking at the tips of the hairs. If the hairs taper and have pointed ends you are most likely looking at real fur, whereas the hairs on faux fur are blunt where they have been cut in manufacture,” said the spokeswoman.

The base of the fur can also be inspected as this differs between faux and real items.

Ms Bass added: “Another reliable indicator is to part the fur and look at the base it is attached to. Animal fur has a pale leathery backing, which is in fact the animals skin, when parted it looks much like a human hair parting. Faux fur on the other hand has a material woven backing.”

Finally, a “burn test” can even be conducted should someone have bought the product and become worried.

By trimming of a small amount of the fur they can test this by lighting it, real hair would singe whereas fake would most likely melt.

Ms Bass concluded: “We would not advise against buying faux fur. However, consumers should exercise caution to make sure what they are buying really is fake, particularly when shopping online. If a shopper is unsure after checking the tips and the base that what they are looking at is faux then we ask them to leave the item on the shelf.”

An issue for retailers adding to the problem is that overseas suppliers have been known to lie in regards to the variety of fur they are selling, which leads stores to misrepresent it, said Ms Bass.

Lex Rigby of Viva, a charity which campaigns for more people to become vegan said: “Retailers are breaking consumers trust when they mislabel fur as faux. The fur industry is incredibly cruel and completely unnecessary. Those who avoid animal products would be absolutely heartbroken to discover that they unknowingly bought fur.

“Ultimately, the responsibility lies with retailers to correctly label their products.”

Although they said there are steps consumers can take, such as those detailed previously, she said “consumers have a right to know what they are buying”.

Miss Rigby advised shopping at "ethical, vegan retailers" to avoid being misled.

The Committees of Advertising Practice this week issued an enforcement notice relevant to all advertisers in the UK, requiring them to take action to ensure they are not using misleading faux fur claims.

While the Advertising Standards Agency criticised two retailers for "misleading" consumers by advertising fashion items made from real animal fur as fake or faux.