FUR is quickly going out of fashion. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors ruled this week that they would ban selling new fur products within the city. It’s the first major U.S. city to enact such a ban, although some other places have similar limitations on selling new fur.

The ban will go into effect Jan. 1, 2019 and does not apply to secondhand items, sheepskin or lambskin. Furriers and other stores can sell their current fur inventory until 2020. Supervisor Katy Tang, who pushed for the legislation, said, “There’s no humane way to raise an animal to peel its skin off.”

As of Jan. 1, San Francisco retailers that sell apparel or accessories with new fur will face a US$500 fine per violation, with the amount escalating with additional violations.

However, critics say that the ban will negatively affect businesses that rely on fur sales. The CEO of the Fur Information Council of America also said in a statement that the ban on fur would lead to an increase of petroleum-based faux fur, which would “directly contradict the many positive environmental moves the San Francisco city council has taken regarding plastics and Styrofoam.”

West Hollywood became the first U.S. city to ban the sale of new fur items in 2011, and Berkeley passed a ban on the sale of fur apparel last year.

Other countries are passing laws to phase out fur farms. In 2000, the U.K. led that charge, followed by Australia in 2004. More recently, the Netherlands, the European Union’s largest producer of fur, banned fur farming in 2012 and plans to end mink farming by 2024. Earlier this month, Norway banned fur farms and will phase out fox and mink farms by 2025.

Gucci, Versace, Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg and Jimmy Choo are among the fashion labels that have stopped using fur or have vowed to.

Gucci’s CEO said, “It’s not modern.” But, since giant furry coats are very much in line with modern fashion, expect to see a lot more faux, even in San Francisco.

(SD-Agencies)