When fur coats meant luxury, not controversy: 80s TV and animal products
Unquestioned fur and leather dominated 1980s television, with characters wearing real fur and exotic skins as luxury status symbols, free from the intense scrutiny that modern animal rights activists would apply today. The decade’s shows presented fur coats, leather jackets, and exotic skin accessories as aspirational items that signify wealth and style rather than as ethically problematic choices. This reflected broader 1980s attitudes when animal rights activism existed but hadn’t penetrated mainstream consciousness sufficiently to make fur-wearing controversial in popular entertainment.
Dynasty: Fur and exotic skins as power and wealth symbols
Dynasty showcased elaborate fur coats as quintessential wealth symbols, with Alexis Carrington (Joan Collins) and Krystle Carrington (Linda Evans) frequently wearing full-length mink and fox coats as part of their high-fashion wardrobes. These were presented as aspirational luxury items demonstrating social status, never as controversial. The Wall Street Journal notes that “for three decades, the ads decrying the use of animal pelts in fashion had featured nude celebrities including Christy Turlington and Pamela Anderson. But suddenly, there was less to protest: California had banned the sale and manufacture of almost all new fur, and major brands like Prada and Gucci said they’d no longer use it, a trend the industry has since followed.” Dynasty’s glamorous fur presentation now appears dated as fashion has largely abandoned the material.
Miami Vice: Leather and exotic skins as cool and edgy
Miami Vice’s Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) famously wore expensive suits with no socks, often pairing this with authentic leather loafers, jackets, and less common leather accessories, solidifying a cool, high-end aesthetic. The material’s origin was irrelevant to the narrative, with leather treated purely as a design choice communicating style rather than having ethical implications. The show’s influence made leather accessories highly desirable, without considering animal welfare or alternatives.
Dallas: Leather and suede in Western oil baron style
Dallas incorporated high-quality leather and suede into characters’ attire, with men like J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) wearing leather jackets, boots, and belts reflecting a wealthy Texan ranching aesthetic. Genuine animal products were portrayed as the norm for luxury and durability, with leather associated with Western masculinity and the oil baron lifestyle celebrated by the show. Synthetic alternatives were never considered, treating animal leather as the obvious choice for anyone with money and taste.
The Golden Girls: Fur as past-era luxury and special occasion wear
The Golden Girls, while usually down-to-earth, occasionally featured characters like Blanche Devereaux or Dorothy Zbornak retrieving older, inherited, or rented fur stoles for fancy events. These episodes portrayed fur as a classic, glamorous accessory for formal wear, connecting to an earlier era of elegance. They treated it as usual for special occasions rather than requiring ethical justification or provoking criticism.
Conclusion
The unquestioned presence of fur and leather in 80s television reflected cultural attitudes where animal products were considered normal luxury items rather than ethically fraught choices. The shift to today’s scrutiny demonstrates how animal rights activism successfully changed public consciousness about fashion’s relationship to animal welfare, turning what was once aspirational into something controversial.
Related:
- 25 things we all did in the ’90s that would get Gen Z canceled
- 12 things you’re doing today that were illegal 20 years ago
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