The use of animal fur in clothing dates to prehistoric times.
It is currently associated in developed countries with expensive, designer clothing,
embroidery digitizing, although fur is still used by indigenous people in arctic zones and higher elevations for its warmth and protection.
Once uncontroversial, it has recently been the focus of campaigns on the grounds that campaigners consider it cruel and unnecessary.
PETA, along with other animal rights and animal liberation groups have called attention to fur farming and other practices they consider cruel.
Clothing suffers assault both from within and without.
The human body sheds skin cells and body oils, and exudes sweat, urine, and feces.
From the outside, sun damage, moisture, abrasion and dirt assault garments.
Fleas and lice can hide in seams.
Worn clothing, if not cleaned and refurbished, itches, looks scruffy, and loses functionality (as when buttons fall off, seams come undone, fabrics thin or tear, and zippers fail).
In some cases, people wear an item of
digitizing clothing until it falls apart.
Cleaning leather presents difficulties, and bark cloth (tapa) cannot be washed without dissolving it.
Owners may patch tears and rips, and brush off surface dirt, but old leather and bark clothing always look old.
But most clothing consists of cloth, and most cloth can be laundered and mended (patching, darning, but compare felt).