Woolrich is one of the last international fashion brands without a fur-free policy even though most of its competitors – including Canada Goose, The North Face, Parajumpers, Patagonia, Fjällräven, MAMMUT, Jack Wolfskin and Napapijri – are already or have gone fur-free. Fur production is cruel to animals, bad for the environment, a risk to public health and completely unnecessary since quality alternatives are available.

While the Italian brand offers a wide range of clothing, their parkas are the only items with fur. They use fur from raccoon dogs, coyotes and foxes as trim for the hoods of their parkas – even for children’s jackets. Woolrich purchases most fur from Finnish auction house Saga Furs, which prides itself with only selling fur coming from certified farms. But the voluntary certification scheme of the European fur industry (WelFur) is designed around the cruel cage system that we all know. Animals on Saga certified fur farms endure a short life in tiny wire mesh cages without opportunities to fulfil their basic needs. Only to be inhumanely killed after a few months and end up as trim on a Woolrich parka.  

And it’s not just farms. In North America, wild animals like coyotes are caught in brutal traps that rarely cause immediate death and result in immense pain and stress before the animals are killed by either drowning, suffocation or bludgeoning.  

The cruel devices do not discriminate. Pets, deer and countless other animals are often maimed or killed simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and many suffer for days without food or water before dying.

The truth is simple: every fur product is rooted in animal suffering.  

While Woolrich emphasises its sustainability efforts, they fail to address the environmental impact of using animal fur for fashion. While the fur industry try to position fur as a sustainable product, in truth the practice has a severe impact on our environment, especially on ecosystems close to fur farms. Keeping thousands of animals on fur farms requires many resources: water, feed, and energy. The accumulating animal waste often drains into local soil and waterways, polluting both. 

But there’s also good news – fashion is evolving. More and more iconic brands and retailers are embracing cruelty-free style by going fur-free. You don’t need fur to make a statement – your values are your boldest accessory.