Faux Fur Friday is a holiday observed on the first Friday of December, encouraging everyone to avoid real animal fur and instead opt for fake fur. Faux fur is a textile originally invented at the end of the 1920s and has become a popular alternative to the real fur that was popular during much of the 20th century.

People have been wearing the skins and furs of animals for thousands of years but have recently fallen out of favor with the general public. Now, faux furs have taken their place, and this holiday celebrates that fact.

The History of Faux Fur

We can’t unravel the history of Faux Fur Friday, but we do know when faux fur itself was invented. This type of fur began to be marketed to the public in 1929 and was initially made using hairs taken from the South American mammal known as an alpaca.

Advances in textile manufacturing technology during the 1940s improved the quality of faux fur, but “true” faux furs wouldn’t be developed until the 1950s. This is when acrylic polymers were used as a replacement for the alpaca hair that had previously been used.

Although faux fur wasn’t popular when it was first introduced, it became more popular over the years, thanks to its promotion by animal welfare organizations who claimed it was an animal-friendly alternative to the many different types of real animal furs on the market.

Observing Faux Fur Friday

The best way to celebrate this holiday is to put on your favorite faux fur and strut yourself. It’s also a good day to purchase new faux fur, but consumers should be careful because not all faux fur is completely free of animal fur.

A loophole in U.S. law allows any piece of clothing that has under $150 in fur to be labeled without mentioning it contains fur. Just something to think about before buying a new coat or jacket.