Urban Outfitters Apologizes for Selling Real Fur Labeled Faux

 WARNING: The video above contains graphic images of animal cruelty around the 5-minute mark.

Urban Outfitters has issued an apology for selling a fur-trimmed cardigan mislabeled as faux fur, violating 2010's Truth in Fur Labeling Act. After bloggers La Belle Nuage and Joshua Katcher called the retailer's labeling into question, the company initially claimed that the fur was fake. But in response to continued pressure and a Change.org petition, Urban Outfitters readjusted its stance, explaining in a letter to Katcher that, "Unfortunately, the information we'd initially gathered led us to believe that the collar trim was indeed faux fur. After further investigation, we were able to confirm your assertion that the trim in question was in fact real fur."

Unfortunately, Urban Outfitters isn't the only retailer to be busted fur mislabeling this year. A recent report by NBC New York accused Loehmann's, Burlington Coat Factory, and Filene's Basement of selling real fur disguised as fake. All of those retailers responded to NBC's claims by pulling the questionable items from shelves and issuing letters of apology.

While we applaud these retailers for 'fessing up, it remains clear that even though the law prohibits the sale of mislabeled fur, shopping for a faux-fur garment may still be a case of caveat emptor. For tips about how to tell when wildlife was killed to create clothes, check out the Humane Society's informative PDF: "Field Guide to Telling Animal Fur from Fake Fur."  

--Della Watson