The shocking increase in down products
There are so many forums now, yet I'm not actually sure where to post this.
This year my husband and I are looking to replace our very old ski jackets. I've been checking out the usual manufacturers, and I am shocked shocked shocked at the exponential increase in the number of products using down. Twelve years ago, when we purchased the ones we have now, synthetic fibers were all the rage. Now it's down everywhere, and I think even the REI catalog had the nerve to feature them as part of their "green" and "eco-friendly" selections.
I think people must still have the notion that down comes from carefree schoolchildren gathering the feathers from abandoned wild duck nests. I am sure people would think twice about down if they knew they came from feathers painfully ripped out of living creatures. In some ways, it's actually worse than fur.
I encourage everyone to spend a letter or email to their favorite sports apparel retailer and urge them to replace their down products with synthetic ones.
Jennifer
I agree it's really bothersome. I want comfort not at a creature's expense. Down is everywhere and in everything. It's what most of the public wants and expects when looking for warmth. On popular brand sites like The North Face, you find each product rated on their down fill. I want a coat that has the same valule of names like that but without torture. Aggravating to say the least.