In the boutiques, shops and department stores of San Francisco, a revolution is taking place. Real fur – considered a taboo by many for the past 20 years – is back on the shelves and finding a ready-and-willing customer base.

For many, the lure is in the details – fur coats aren’t necessarily flying off the shelves, the most-wanted styles are accent pieces like scarves, removable collars on sweaters or jackets and purses.

Braving the early winter cold snap in a black parka with black faux-fur trim is Sylvia Lim, a BECA junior.

“Both real and faux fur are very warm and erotic,” she said. “For me, though, I couldn’t wear real fur. I believe in animal rights.”

With real fur taking more of a supporting role this season, however, its prevalence may be easy to overlook.

“I’ve noticed more fur accent pieces in the industry over the past year or so,” said Tiffany Ursetta, a 24-year-old SF State design and merchandising graduate who has worked for Nordstroms for several years.

Ursetta maintains that the reason behind fur accents may be financial.

“When the economy picks up, we begin to see clothing with more details – people don't mind paying a little extra for them,” Ursetta said.

The change has been quiet but far-reaching: real fur is now found at the most mainstream of stores, including Ann Taylor, Express, Bebe, Guess and more. Previously, upscale stores like Neiman-Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue had been the benchmark in fur sales, and consequently have weathered the anti-fur movement that gained momentum in the early ‘80s.

The creation of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in 1980 brought a new wave of awareness to America regarding animal rights. Fur, a pet cause of PETA’s, has been the catalyst for oft-publicized incidents – including a red carpet pie-throwing at Calvin Klein and Karl Lagerfeld and the storming of fashion runways modeling fur.

PETA’s influence has spawned other similar organizations and events over the years. Fur-Free Friday – held annually on the first Friday after Thanksgiving – started in 1986 as a protest at the Neiman-Marcus in Beverly Hills and has since become an annually organized protest against fur in department stores nationwide.

High-end department stores, however, are no longer in the minority when it comes to real fur.

The past few years have seen an upswing in fur sales, spurring designers and retailers to offer the once-forbidden fabric. In the U.S., fur sales have increased in each of the last five years to a record $1.8 billion in 2003, a 7.5 percent jump from 2002, according to the Fur Information Council of America.

This season, “traditional” fur is pared down. At Ann Taylor, for example, the fur items are accessories or fur-trimmed coats. Most of the offerings are under $200, making them more attainable than the more traditional fur coats.

Ann Taylor is not the only mid-range retailer to be stocking fur this winter – some of the most popular stores and online boutiques are cashing in on the new fad, too.

At Bebe, real fur is prevalent and comes in a variety of price points. The store carries dozens of fur items, mostly rabbit, from a $59 hobo bag in bright purple to a $498 three-quarter length white coat set off with crystals, rhinestones and a satin belt.

Girlshop, a trend-setting online boutique that sells the wares of over 100 different small labels like Ben Sherman and Shoshanna, places a mink choker on its top ten list. The $88 necklace is a small, plain box chain with a 1-inch “mink pom-pom” in the center.

Cicily Watts, a liberal studies sophomore, said that a store that sells fur gives her pause.

“When I first hear about something like that – selling fur, sweatshop labor or something like that – it makes me avoid the store for a while,” she said.

Ann Taylor, Bebe and Girlshop would not return requests for comment.