Faux fur or faux pas? Not so fast. Some say fake fur is okay to wear. Others view second-hand real fur as fine too. For activists, the animal product remains divisive even as it is back in style.

NEW YORK -- If "luxury" is out, how come big, pouffy Russian-style fur hats and even elaborate, brightly hued fur coats are all over city streets and mall parking lots? Maybe it's because fur is warm.

We see them more and more these days, whether at the grocery store or in a music video. Yes, it's becoming hard to deny the prevalence of fur coats. I encountered my first in-the-flesh fur at a quaint ...