Look back on history, and you might be shocked to find out when fur became a ‘thing’. This is because for as long as history can remember, fur has been part of the attire that people wear around the world. Fur has long been established as a comfortable way to look good, and a fashionable statement that says a lot about the wearer. The popularity of fur clothing today is enhanced by companies like Aria Mode, but when did fur become an affordable form of clothing?

After all, in the centuries gone past it was seen as a major luxury. The history of fur clothing stretches back over 150,000 years, but it was not always something worn by the majority. Instead, it was once seen as an item of luxury and of grandeur. While in the past it would have been common to see fur, as it became a more desirable item as opposed to a necessity for warmth it was turned into a more luxurious clothing item.

While still grandiose and luxurious today, you will find that fur clothing is typically far more affordable today. When did that change, though?

Heading back in time

The time when fur started to go from an expensive and elite luxury to something everyone could afford started in the 1950s. At this time, the world was still recovering from the Second World War. Soldiers returned to their respective nations and instead of simply returning to the pre-war conditions, things changed. People fought for advancement and improvement in their day-to-day lives and this changed a great deal of things in the world.

By the 1950s, we started to see fur become a more and more affordable investment. This was popularised by the number of celebrities and movie stars moving around in their fantastic fur clothing. It began to help make fur sell itself, with the price naturally increasing as the demand increased. While fur did actually become more expensive in some circles, it also inspired more competition.

Many more designers and developers began to lean into the fur industry, using fur as a more mass produced style. Casual clothing and more general purpose attire began to appear on racks within store that used fur. Fur coats began to become smaller in size, too, and before long they were seen as acceptable clothing to wear at any time of the day. Once upon a time, fur was only for night time jaunts; the late 1950s, though, brought change to that.

This change continued long into the 1960s, when fur became as affordable as it should have been. While faux fur did come on the market and offered an even cheaper route, this was the beginning of fur – real fur – becoming an affordable investment. Since then, fur clothing has become even more popular across the globe; indeed, it’s probably one of the only trends of the last forty or fifty years that has genuinely stuck with people.

Can you see, then, why fur has become such a major part of the fashion industry?