In a move that's sure to make anti-fur activists giddy, Britain's Ministry of Defence is currently searching for synthetic material to outfit those stonefaced iconic guards at Buckingham Palace. Today, the MoD is meeting with Peta representatives to find a reasonable substitute for those funky black bearskin hats. Yes, they're really made of Canadian black bear fur, and what's more -- it takes an entire bear to make just one hat. So, the MoD's switch to synthetic isn't purely symbolic.

Government officials have pondered the idea of finding a substitute before, but apparently they haven't like any of their options. Now Peta's bringing out the big guns. They've got anti-fur designers Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney working on the case.

Since these guards are one of the foremost icons of British military tradition, the standards are set understandably high. In other words, cheap rugs aren't going to cut it. If you're an aspiring headgear designer, the Telegraph is accepting submissions for an alternative helmet design.

[via Fashionista]