What Is Faux Shearling Fabric?
Faux shearling is a fabric that mimics the look and feel of real shearling, which is the pelt and coat of a young lamb. Faux shearling can be made from vinyl and wool blends or other synthetic materials.
Faux shearling means “fake lambskin.” Lambskin is used to make garments because of the softness of the pelt and coat as compared to sheepskin, which is rougher and harvested from fully grown sheep. The lamb’s pelt is tanned to a suede finish with the wool still attached. The resulting garment is worn with the wool lining the inside and the suede on the outside.
Shearling garments are generally expensive and troubling to people who are conscious of animal rights. Faux shearling fabrics imitate the look and feel but use materials other than lambskin. Faux shearling can be made from vinyl, which is a synthetic material commonly used in garments instead of leather. Wool, wool blends or synthetic fibers are attached to the vinyl to create a look very similar to shearling. Real wool or a wool blend may still be used for the lining, or synthetic fibers may be used.
Faux shearling fabric is usually stiffer than real shearling, which is known for its flexibility and softness.
