Genuine fur clothing has become so taboo during the past 15 years or so that I don't remember the last time I saw an ad for a fur coat. Very few people today, it seems, dare to wear real fur. Each time I walk into my local Macy's I use the entrance right near the fur salon, and I have yet to see anyone in there other than the saleswomen. If a designer releases a fur item or a celebrity is spotted wearing fur, he/she receives a lot of bad publicity.
That wasn't always the case. Before animal welfare groups such as PETA were formed and shed a light on the fur industry, people were blissfully unaware of how cruelly fur was farmed. For many decades, fur was seen as glamorous and coveted; the ultimate present a woman could receive from her suitor, back in the day, was often a fur coat.
Luckily, faux fur has really taken off in the U.S. during the past 20 years (and as the owner of a couple of fake fur coats, I can attest that they're really toasty.) And the best part is they're cruelty free.
For better or for worse, here's a bunch of fur ads through the decades, from the site VintageAdBrowser (unless where otherwise noted.) I noticed they petered out after 1990. I present them not because I condone the fur trade, but simply because it's a vintage fashion trend, the likes of which I don't think we'll see coming around again anytime soon.
It's hard to believe people wore seal at one point.
Fur manufacturers at one point had no problem getting celebrities to endorse their coats.
