You could be wearing real fur without realising

Most people would assume that any furry goods being sold on the high street would feature fake fur, right? Turns out we’d all be wrong.

The BBC have uncovered that accessories as cheap as £10 are being made with real fur. The charity, Humane International Society UK, carried out lab tests on three different items, finding them to be made of mink, fox and rabbit instead of synthetic fibres as advertised.

“Consumers are being duped into buying real animal fur. We know the vast majority of British people don’t want to buy fur ethically and morally, but we are seeing an increase in it on our streets,” commented the charity’s director, Claire Bass. “Fur is tragically so cheap. It can be produced for the same or less than the cost of fake fur.”

Although most high street stores have strict fur-free policies, a number of independent retailers (both online and in-store) are selling real fur – sometimes without the knowledge of the sellers themselves.

However, Good Morning Britain found that high street retailer Forever 21 is currently selling a bag pom pom made of angora; a fabric that has caused protesting in the past due to the animal cruelty caused in its plucking.

What’s even more concerning is that Forever 21 was actually on a list of retailers who reportedly banned angora in 2014. The Huffington Post reached out to the store for comment as it was unclear whether they were in on the scandal but are yet to hear back.

UK laws currently state that only 80% of an item’s composition has to be included on its label, meaning that the small percentage of fur may be left out.

If you’re worried about any furry hats or scarves you may own, there’s a couple of ways to spot the difference between faux and real:

• Separate the fur at the base. If it’s fake, you will see the fabric webbing. If it’s real, it will be attached to skin.

• Cut off the ends of the fibres and set light to them. If they melt like plastic, it’s fake. If they singe and smell of burning hair, it’s real.

People aren’t happy the Kardashians keep wearing fur

Should you pay more for plus size? Fury as high street stores charge a curvy surcharge