faux rabbit fur for garment

Advantages
The fake fur is a fabric and therefore is relatively easy to sew it
The fake fur does not require cold storage to prevent deterioration and is impervious to moths.

A 1979 study commissioned by the Fund for Animals argued that the energy consumption for the production of one coat made out of fake fur was 120 MBtu, compared to 433 MBtu for trapped animals and 7,965 MBtu for animals raised in fur farms. This study has been criticized as being biased and outdated.

The fake fur is not an animal-use product.
The fake fur does not require or encourage the breeding of animals in factory farms like real fur.
Fake fur is much cheaper than real fur so is more affordable.

History
Fur is one of the oldest known forms of clothing, and has been worn by men and women for a variety of reasons throughout history.

While quite desirable, real fur had the disadvantage of being expensive and in short supply. For this reason, fake furs were introduced on the market in 1929. These early attempts at imitation fur were made using hair from the alpaca, a South American mammal.

From a fashion standpoint, they were of low quality, typically colored gray or tan, and could not compare to exquisite furs like mink or beaver. But the fabric was inexpensive and warm, so manufacturers continued to develop improved versions of the fake fur, trying to give it a denser look, better abrasion resistance, and more interesting colors.

In the 1940s, the quality of fake furs was vastly improved by advances in textile manufacture technology. However, the true modern fake furs were not developed until the mid 1950s, with the introduction of acrylic polymers as replacements for alpaca hair.

These polymers were particularly important because they could provide the bulk required to imitate real fur without the weight associated with other fake fur fabrics.

They were also easier to color and texture than alpaca fibers. Later in the decade, polymer producers found that acrylic polymers could be made even more fur-like and fire resistant by mixing them with other polymers.

These new fabrics, called modacrylics, are now the primary polymer used in fake fur manufacture.

Specifications:

Fake furs are made with a variety of materials. The bulk fibers are typically composed of polymers, including acrylics, modacrylics, or appropriate blends of these polymers. Acrylic polymers are made from chemicals derived from coal, air, water, petroleum, and limestone.

They are the result of a chemical reaction of an acrylonitrile monomer under conditions of elevated pressure and heat. For fake furs, secondary monomers are also added to improve the ability of the acrylic fibers to absorb dyes. Modacrylic polymers are copolymers made by the reaction of acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride monomers.

These fibers are particularly useful for fake furs because they can be easily dyed with animal-like colors and have a natural fire retardance.

Quality Control

To ensure the quality of fake fur, manufacturers monitor the product during each phase of production. This process begins with an inspection of the incoming raw materials and continues with the finished fibers that are produced in the polymerization reactions. These fibers are subjected to a battery of physical and chemical tests to show that they meet the specifications previously developed. Some of the characteristics that are tested include pH, appearance, density, and melting point.

Other things such as fiber elasticity, resilience, and absorbency can also be tested.As the garments are being produced, line inspectors take random samples at certain time intervals and check to ensure that they meet set requirements for things such as appearance, sewing quality, fiber strength, size, and shape.

The primary testing method is visual inspection, although more rigorous tests can also be performed. In addition to the manufacturer's own standards, the industry and government also set requirements. A set of governmental standards, known as L-22, has been voluntarily adopted by the industry. These tests outline minimum performance standards for things such as shrinkage, pilling, snagging, and wear.