It's been a common controversy over recent decades on the issue of using fur in fashion.

This first started way before any of us even knew what 'fashion' was. It was a form of clothing worn by the early hominids who wore it not to strut around for fashion shows, but probably to keep warm from the harsh winters. Fur in fashion was first introduced in the 1800s, and these garments such as hats and coats were generally made of beaver hides. Fur, while warm and durable, was also a sowing sign of wealth and prestige, which spurred its popularity into the 1900s.

Its peak in popularity of fur was in the 1960s where the skins of the mink, silver striped and red fox were used in clothing by the rich. However, the 1960s were also the time when people started to protest its use and question the morality of using such fabrics in clothing.

Flash forward to today, fights for animal rights and anti-animal cruelty are becoming more and more prevalent. This affects companies, fashion, and cosmetics alike, who still use fur or test animals for their products. Lately, however, the number of companies who are taking a stand against animal cruelty and eliminating the use of fur in their merchandise seems to be growing.

Maybe it's because the owners of the companies have a soft spot for animals, or maybe it's because of the relentless pushing of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Either way, it seems to be working. After a video PETA produced of the process of cultivating goat pelts (commonly known as mohair) for clothing uses, they claim that over 140 different companies have dropped the production of mohair in their stores.

One of those companies was ASOS. And now they're making headlines again by taking it one step further: they've banned cashmere, silk, down and feathers across its entire company. Declaring their love for our fellow furry friends must not have been easy for ASOS, considering that they carry and sell over 850 different fashion labels, as well as produce their own private label brand of clothing and accessories.

Maybe this will start a domino effect? If more brands like ASOS who are multibrand companies start to exclude items containing fur, then the brands that sell those fur-filled products may have to cease to make them due to fewer buyers putting them in their stores.

Amongst ASOS, brands such as Versace, Gucci (stopped using fur in 2017), Michael Kors (will be fur-free by the end of 2018), Armani (2016), Stella McCartney (established since 2001, the McCartney brand has never used real fur), Vivienne Westwood (2007), Ralph Lauren (2007), Tommy Hilfiger (2007), and Calvin Klein, who stopped using fur in 1994 was one of the trailblazers for fur-free products.

So if high-end brands like these, especially those who used to be known for using fur in their products (like Gucci's famous fur loafer), then I foresee (and hope) that the trickle-down theory takes place and that more companies will follow suit and we'll love all animals.