Fur has been ignited into a controversial topic. Some stars and designers will only wear the real thing insisting that fake fur is a faux pas. Organizations like Peta and animals rights groups combined with a sympathetic slew of designers and celebs say real fur is the faux pas.

The fur accessory debate has been going for years. The argument against the real deal is animal cruelty. Seals and other animals are hunted viciously beaten or caged a raised only to be skin sometimes alive according to the animal rights group. The activists also stand by the opinion that fake fur is just as good as the genuine wear and looks indistinguishable.

Depending on your views there are ways to test a garment for faux fur. Sometimes the feel is obvious. The real fur feels smooth while its fake counterpart feels coarse. The pin test is usually more accurate simply drive a safety pin or needle through the base where the fur is attached. If it resists, it’s real. If it slides through then it is fake.

The trend makes me scratch my head in fashion is the use of fur. While I stand by the use of faux fur, I do question its use in some garments. The fur vest is one that baffles me.