$45,000 astrakhan and broadtail fur coats made of infant lambs

A story headed, "The Lamb on the Runway" is on the front page of the G section of the Thursday, August 11, New York Times. It is by ERic Wilson. It discusses astrakhan, which is "a recently popularized name for an old-fashioned fur that in previous generations has been known as Persian lamb, karakul or in some cases broadtail." We learn that it is "one of the most important trends in the store for fall."

Wilson writes:
"For some customers, high prices and the fact that it is not a classic beauty may dampen the appeal of astrakhan, which comes from a sheep called the karakul, originally bred in central Asia and prized for its glossy, tightly curled coat at birth. But what the fashion industry is also about to discover is whether customers will balk once they understand the origins of this new-old fur, now at its highest visibility in years. Most astrakhan lambs, according to the fur industry, are killed within days or weeks of their birth because as they age, the quality of their wool quickly changes from tightly curled rows to a more coarse and wiry pelt. And some examples, called broadtail, often considered the most desirable, are the skins of unborn lambs."

Broadtail coats can cost $45,000.

It is a long article, which you can read on line at: http://tinyurl.com/bsgfc

It gives us a great opportunity for letters to the editor on various aspects of the way humans treat other species, or about the encouraging boom in great looking humane fashion. Please write. The New York Times takes letters at letters [at] nytimes.com

Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be published.


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