Doll Clothes and Accessories made from Fur and Leather

Nope, doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's the owner's decision as to what the doll wears, and if the owner thinks the doll should be decked out in fur and leather, why not? Personally, if I bought or made clothes with fur/leather, it wouldn't bother me either. It's nice to know these things aren't being wasted when the animal is killed, actually.

 

Would you be insulted or shocked to see a doll wearing clothes made from animal byproduct (furs and leathers and such)?
To be honest i do think this is very much personal preference. But i would not be shocked or insulted because i think it is personal choice. I am a vegetarian actually, and would never wear leather or fur for me, or my dolls because i would see my self as an hypocrite if i did. But i think it would be WRONG of me to push my views on others in that matter. I would happy say why i personally would have a problem with me or my dolls wearing such things, but i would then see what the person did what that info personal choice. It used to really bug me when i used to eat meat and veggies came up with me and had a go at me "about the evils of eating meat" and it used to anger me, so i wouldn't do it to any one else.

Does it make a difference if the byproducts came from animals we eat (cows, rabbits, pigs, sheep, etc.)?
Yes actually, i think if you eat meat leathers and things are GOOD because you are USING MORE of the animal you ate. The reason why i would not, is because i don't eat meat. So i wouldn't want to kill it for it's skin. But if you eat meat, it is actually good in my opinion. I am a little more uneasy about furs that where just for the skin, but as i said in my first comment, personal choice. But if you ate the rabbit then, go for it. If they rabbit was also shot because it was a pest on the farm and causing problems and it was used for fur so it didn't go to waste then i would also be cool with that.

Would it make a difference if you bought the leather/fur from a crafts store (like Hobby Lobby or Michael's)?
I don't see why it would.

Would it make a difference if you bought the byproduct straight from the distributor, whom you knew to use all parts of the animal?
I think this is a better option to be honest, or even if it wasn't from the distributor but you knew they used all the animal then i think it would be much better. I think it is good that if you are going to kill an animal to use all of it. Personally i wouldn't put fur or leather on my dolls because i don't eat meat. But if you are a meat eater, then i see no problem, and it is actually better if all the animal is used if you are a meat eater. No point wasting the animals skin when it could be used.

 

For me personally, the use of leathers and furs itsn't what I'm bothered by, but the methods through which they are obtained. My reasons for this are many, and some are difficult to describe properly, but I will try.

I am all for using all parts of an animal so as to:

1) Not be wasteful, both for disposal and ethical reasons. If an animal is being raised specifically for its meat, I think it would be irresponsible not to use every possible part of that animal in any way we can. I am not a vegetarian or vegan, so the actual meat-raising doesn't factor into this decision for me. Also, if cattle, for example, are raised with the intention of selling their meat for human consumption, it is in the best interests of the farmers to also sell the hide, and any other parts of the cow that they can, to fund their livelihoods. Farming is incredibly tough work, so throwing away the other parts of an animal wouldn't make sense to me from that POV.

2) "Honour" the life of the animal. I'm really not sure how to word this, because it isn't really a spiritual or religious decision for me, but I know if I were, say, a chicken or a fish, and I was being raised specifically to be eaten, I'd be kind of insulted if only my meat was used and the rest of me was completely disregarded. I know this sounds a little bit strange, because it IS a little on the strange side and may even be a little morbid, but I'd at least like to know that, if I died for that reason, all parts of me would be made use of.

What I do disagree with is the slaughter of animals, whether they are raised specifially for the purpose or not, purely for their hides. This is why I would never wear mink, or otter, or any other animal farmed specifically and solely for their skins. I believe it is wasteful and disrespectful of the animals from which the skins are taken to be scalped and have the rest of them discarded like trash. They are NOT trash; they are a living creature which has given you a part of itself for your own use, and it deserves to be treated with a certain degree of dignity.

I do, for the record, think of the animals I consume as food in the same way. Something has died so that I can live comfortably, so the least I can do is be respectful of that, and endorse people and companies who are ethical in similar ways whenever I can.​

 

I fully agree with trying to do these things as ethically as we can!

 

Would you be insulted or shocked to see a doll wearing clothes made from animal byproduct (furs and leathers and such)?
Not shocked, but a little grossed out—I don't think animals need to be killed so we can use bits of their dead bodies to enhance our hobby.

Does it make a difference if the byproducts came from animals we eat (cows, rabbits, pigs, sheep, etc.)?
No—I'm a vegetarian and an animal's an animal, no matter what kind. Using these specific animals is just a social norm. Pigs have been proven to be more intelligent than dogs, but you can be sure people would be more upset to see a doll wearing dog fur than pig leather. I guess you could call in inter-species discrimination?

Would it make a difference if you bought the leather/fur from a crafts store (like Hobby Lobby or Michael's)?
No, why would that matter?

Would it make a difference if you bought the byproduct straight from the distributor, whom you knew to use all parts of the animal?
No, I rather not use any part of an animal.

Or is it all the same to you?
I think both fur and leather can be used when necessary—for example, people living in really cold climates might need it for warmth—but as a fashion statement, and especially on a doll that has absolutely no need for anything, it's pretentious and cruel.

 

Would you be insulted or shocked to see a doll wearing clothes made from animal byproduct (furs and leathers and such)?
Not at all. I think furs and leathers can look very nice and tasteful.
Does it make a difference if the byproducts came from animals we eat (cows, rabbits, pigs, sheep, etc.)?
Yes. I prefer buying (and always try to buy) furs/leathers that came from animals that were used as food or other things. I absolutely hate fur farms, as they're cruel and wasteful.
Would it make a difference if you bought the leather/fur from a crafts store (like Hobby Lobby or Michael's)?
Yes. I wouldn't be surprised if major chain stores sell fur farm products, and therefore I avoid buying from those places.
Would it make a difference if you bought the byproduct straight from the distributor, whom you knew to use all parts of the animal?
Yes. As stated above, I try to only buy from places where the animal wasn't killed specifically for the fur.
Or is it all the same to you?
Nope, not all the same to me. I'm very much an animal advocate (but hate PETA, don't lump me in with those crazies). I don't like knowing that the fur/leather I use came from a terrified animal who was killed just for their skin. I much prefer buying from a reserve or similar place where I know the animal was killed to make use of everything it had to offer.

 

Would you be insulted or shocked to see a doll wearing clothes made from animal byproduct (furs and leathers and such)?
No it deffinatley wouldnt shock me but I wouldnt buy fur for my own dolls unless it was fake. I do wear leather because the meat of the animal is not wasted but when it comes to furs such as mink and sables the animal is infact discarded and wasted. By the way minks are killed by electricution or drownng for their furs. This is so far from being humane.
Does it make a difference if the byproducts came from animals we eat (cows, rabbits, pigs, sheep, etc.)?
I would deffinatley feel better about ti if it came from a consumable animal. I feel if your going to kill something ( hunting fur ect.) then the meat should be used as well. there are too many starving people in this world and too many natural fibers to justify killing for skins.

Would it make a difference if you bought the leather/fur from a crafts store (like Hobby Lobby or Michael's)?
No.

Would it make a difference if you bought the byproduct straight from the distributor, whom you knew to use all parts of the animal?
It would deffinatley sit way better with me.
​

 

Actually, in the UK at least, mink are usually gassed, not electrocuted - and never drowned, as that results in an inferior pelt - it becomes waterlogged, and you have to start with a dry pelt for tanning and furrier craft. Pelts from drowned animals often start to go mouldy during the drying process.

However, as I've pointed out before, animal hides for leather are not a bye-product of the meat industry. Beef cattle hides, for instance, are inferior for tanning purposes - whereas the meat from animals slaughtered for their hides is not good enough quality for human consumption. In the UK and the US a small percentage might find its way into pet food for dogs and cats, but mostly it ends up as landfill; and that's only accounting for the hides from "eating" animals. It doesn't take into account the hides from such animals as horses - which are not routinely eaten in the US and UK, though they are in France, etc.

 

thank you arkady for the info on leather its actually pretty disheartening

 

Would you be insulted or shocked to see a doll wearing clothes made from animal byproduct (furs and leathers and such)?
Maybe not insulted or shocked, per say, but...it's hard to explain. I wouldn't personally put fur on my doll, because fur goes against my morals. I don't see many people eating mink, so a mink stole or coat pisses me off. If you're not using all of the animal, then why the heck would you kill it? Of course means of survival can be translated into staying warm, but when we're talking about fur used in fashion, I don't really think it serves that purpose. We as people in my country have evolved to the point where we can use other methods to keep ourselves warm, like down feather coats and such. That gets me thinking, though, do they kill the animals they use for feathers? Hm. Perhaps that is just as bad, then. Well, anyways, there are other kinds of jackets I'm sure. Back in the day, fur was a really smart way of keeping one warm, so I think it was more accepted. But now things have changed, so more people may be offended by the sight of fur on anyone, let alone a doll. I personally don't see anything wrong with a fur trim or something on some clothes, but fur wigs or fur directly on the doll is something I personally wouldn't do. Same with leather, because it's animal hide and because I hear it has staining qualities (I have never experienced it but I don't think I'll try any time soon). It was once alive and although it is disinfected and what not, I still don't want it touching my precious dolls. But that's just my opinion. If someone else wants to do it, I probably wouldn't care. I may not agree with their decision full heartedly, but it's not my place to judge them.

Does it make a difference if the byproducts came from animals we eat (cows, rabbits, pigs, sheep, etc.)?
Not at all. An animal is an animal, no matter if I eat it or not.

Would it make a difference if you bought the leather/fur from a crafts store (like Hobby Lobby or Michael's)?
If it was real or fake, it doesn't matter where it comes from to me. It's still the same material and holds the same offense to me.


Would it make a difference if you bought the byproduct straight from the distributor, whom you knew to use all parts of the animal?
Yes. As I stated earlier, if all parts of the animal are used in some way, I feel it's life is not forfeit. It had more of a purpose than to be someone's decoration in one way or another. If the animal was killed inhumanely however, that would also bother me, no matter if all parts of the animal were used or not. It truly is a complicated matter and I stand my ground on my views whether it applies to people or dolls.

 

Would you be insulted or shocked to see a doll wearing clothes made from fur, leather, etc?
Well, I have dolls myself who do wear, e.g., rabbit fur, leal leather shoes, and so on (quite proudly, too) ... so no, it does not insult or shock - or offend, or upset, or frighten, or anger, or ... - me; I bought them and put them on myself, after all. In fact, liking the tactile sensation of these materials myself, I actually prefer them to many synthetics also for my dolls.

Does it make a difference if it came from animals we eat?
None whatsoever.
Case in point: I would not have any problems using e.g. lizard or alligator skin for my dolls, but last I checked, lizards aren't very prominent on the food animals list.

Would it make a difference if you bought the leather/fur from a crafts store?
I don't make fur/leather items myself, but buy them from artisans, or from Y!J.
So, from my perspective, the question isn't really relevant. I do not require proofs of origin from those I buy from, nor do feel any need to do so.

Would it make a difference if you bought it from a distributor whom you knew to use all parts of the animal?
See the above.

As a general note though, I would caution against taking any information for gospel that is being distributed by lobby organisations or special interest groups that in any manner, let alone an overly blatant one, use out-of-context speculative, sensationalist imagery - sometimes even deliberately directed at children - in an attempt to shock or frighten people into supporting their cause.
Just a word to the wise.

 

You bet they do! Down feathers are the fluffy feathers underneath the 'water-proofing' ones that birds use to stay warm. While birds do naturally molt and lose these feathers, there's no way even 1000 birds could naturally produce even 1 coat in a year. As your country alone is the cause of death for most likely hundreds of thousands of birds annually (maybe 40 birds per coat?), I can't really say that's 'evolution'... especially when it takes maybe 2 or 3 cows to make a leather jacket, or 10 -15 large rabbits to make a fur coat (depending on the size/length of said coat, maybe more)... However, the birds are probably eaten afterward.

In regards to staining, the hide isn't always dyed, so there's no color residue to stain the doll with. Not only that, buy leather does not react the same as fabric in regards to rubbing or water. You have a better chance of staining a doll with dyed fabric rather than a nice outfit made of leather or fur. Ever been out in the rain and changed to find out your newly bought wet jeans have dyed your legs blue?

Leather and hide-on furs: pretty much the most natural fabrics you'll ever find.

 

My God! That is simply awful! Thank you so much for the information! I will never view a coat the same way again. ;_; Even if we eat the bird, it's the way it's killed that is my biggest concern, honestly. I know my country isn't always the kindest when it comes to killing animals (I'm not a big supporter of my country, period).

See, I was always under the impression hides were dyed. Thank you for that input as well! I shall keep it in mind. ^^ I'm glad to see there are sides to both arguements here!

 

Well, as I stated in my original post, I absolutely adore animals, however, that doesn't mean I'm above using them for clothing or crafts. I'm allergic to birds, but that doesn't mean I haven't always wanted an African Grey parrot, while adversely before I found out I was allergic, I used to have a wonderful down comforter, and a pillow my grandmother made for me. There are many ways to kill birds, and I agree most of them are not incredibly humane... however, in today's modern society, people are always looking for the quickest and easiest way to get things done, and tend to cut corners to do it. And of course (at least here in Canada), animals have some rights, but they're both not as stringently enforced, or as strict as they should be.

Killing animals is sometimes required though, such as if you have predators that are killing livestock or to cull population growth in animals like rabbits or moles, and while those animals may not be edible (I've never heard of anyone eating fox or coyote), it doesn't mean they have to be completely wasted, as they do have gorgeous pelts.

 

Again, it depends on where you're getting your feathers from. Discovery's Dirty Jobs did a show about a local animal processor. Hunters would bring their kills (in this case, geese and ducks) to a mom-and-pop company. The company cuts up the birds for meat, turns the down into pillows and sells the larger (primary) feathers for decorations. I'm sure they do similar processing for rabbits, foxes, etc.

I'm not saying all companies work like this! And I'm certain larger manufacuturers like to cut corners. I'm just saying if you're worried about the entire animal being used do some research first.

 

I don't wear leathers and furs anymore myself. There's a lot of options today in fabrics and materials, includding sympthetic leather and fur... So no, my dolls would't wear them either.
I can't tell if I would be shocked or not seeing a BJD wearing a real fur coat, and real leather pants and shoes...
I think all the questions mean the same to me... dont really matter where the fur and leather came from and what animals etc... My answear is NO, never. Its really personal, an ideology.

 

If you are making clothes for a BJD and recycle leather or fur while doing it, then I think you are honoring that animal by not just throwing the skin away.

 

I am probably in the minority here but...

Would you be insulted or shocked to see a doll wearing clothes made from animal byproduct (furs and leathers and such)?

it doesn't insult or shock me to see real fur or leather in fact, the opposite is the case, i really hate cheap looking fake fur and leather and would much rather see the real stuff. there is a reason that people try to duplicate fur and leather. they are beautiful. saying this, i prefer to buy fur from hunters rather than fur farms where the animals are probably mistreated but that isn't really possible all the time and especially with leather. if you have a problem with people using those products, DON'T BUY THEM. there are alternatives for you, you should know however that 95% of fake leather still has animal products in it tho. i believe there are only 2 companies worldwide that produce vegan leather that is ACTUALLY vegan.

Does it make a difference if the byproducts came from animals we eat (cows, rabbits, pigs, sheep, etc.)?

not to me, i buy exotic leathers and fur from animals that are not for human consumption quite often. you don't see people eating raccoon or badger or mink very often do you? i also buy cow leather and pigskin and rabbit fur and i think it would be nice that the meat of the animal is used for food but the rest of say... a mink typically goes to a rendering plant to make dog food, fish food, fertilizer, fabric softener, shampoo, car tires etc. so i am not bothered by it.

Would it make a difference if you bought the leather/fur from a crafts store (like Hobby Lobby or Michael's)?

only because they typically sell inferior leather for a ridiculous amount of money

Would it make a difference if you bought the byproduct straight from the distributor, whom you knew to use all parts of the animal?

again, no. it is nice but as i said above, the rest typically gets used anyway. even if the company doing the skinning doesn't send the carcasses to a rendering plant, they sometimes burn them and the ash gets used for other purposes (ash is used to refine some sugars)

i have done my research and have made my decision based on what i have found. i agree that there should be stricter regulations in regards to the treatment of the animals used for fur and leather BUT the chicken in that nugget you are eating was treated the same way that fox i have around my neck was and i don't see anyone throwing paint at you or telling you what a horrible person you are for purchasing it!

 

I'll start out with saying that my grandfather is Native American, and my dad was very much into the spiritual aspect of his heritage and was also a big hippie during the 60s, so I was brought up with both the 60s' love of nature and life and the stereotypical new age/Native American respect for mother earth and all of her inhabitants.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with using any part of any (not endangered) animal for pretty much any purpose. This isn't to say I don't value life, quite the opposite. However, once something is dead it is dead....it's no longer a living thing but an object, in my opinion, to be either used or returned to the earth. I think it is our responsibility to insure that they are treated ethically while they're still alive, but I'm certainly not against killing them. Things die, it's a part of life...as long as there is a purpose with the death, who am I to decide if that purpose is ethical or not? Honestly, I'm much more offended by roadkill than animal killed for fur. Now that's a pointless, brutal death....but you don't often see animal rights activists or ethical vegans and vegetarians boycotting driving cars, do you?

That being said, I tend to buy from distribution centers that get their pelts and animal parts exclusively from hunters, or vintage furs/leather found in thrift stores or garage sales.

To finish up, I'd like to state that in spite of my harsh statement earlier, I have nothing but respect for ethical vegans and vegetarians (or supporters of animal rights, for that matter). I have several friends that are vegan, and I respect that they believe in their morals so strongly, and I say, more power to them! My personal beliefs in the matter my differ from theirs, but that does not make their opinions or morals any less valid. I'm just stating my own thoughts on the issue. :3

 

I'm not a meat eater, but that's not because I feel bad for animals. I just don't like meat. The way I see it is that animals are being bred to die in order to feed many an indiscriminate face, and they are bred to die to clothe many a fabulous doll. I'm not heartless, just shallow. *Shrug* I, myself, wear and use leather, so I certainly don't have a problem with my dolls wearing it.