Stroll down the boutique-lined streets of West Hollywood and you’ll quickly spot an illicit product hanging from clothing racks, gracefully propped on tables or proudly showcased in store windows. It’s fur.

This week marks one year since the city banned the sale of fur products, but retailers are still carrying shearling coats, mink scarves and women’s vests made of coyote fur.

The city made national news after becoming the first in the country to ban the sale of fur, but implementing the law has proved difficult. Some retailers say they’re confused about the ordinance while others openly violate it. Meanwhile, the city does little to enforce the ban.

To date, the city has issued just one citation for violating the ban – against the only store that has sued over the law. That citation was overturned this month, an illustration of the limits of both the ban and the city’s ability to enforce it.

Read the full story in the September 22 weekly edition of the Business Journal.