…Not if you should wear it or not.
The East Coast is getting snowed in, and its been “freezing” in the southwest (hey, it snowed in Scottsdale for all of 5 minutes…) so what better time to break out the fur?
Fur is one of those items that was for centuries considered not only a necessity but an important status symbol. Now its become a somewhat touchy commodity. But fur was prized for a reason: its very warm, very luxe, and can make you feel like a million bucks. And with some awesome faux fur out there and real fur out of favor and associated with old lonely rich white women, the whole concept is more affordable than ever. I am not a fur connoisseur, but I am known to rock the vintage Dior coyote I snagged from my mother whenever I get the chance and it always makes a splash. As a result this teaching moment is a loose guide to some basic fur tips for young, not as lonely, not quite so rich, any color, ladies who are bold enough to make a statement.
1. For the love of god, real or fake, if you are under 50; KEEP IT SHORT
vs.
One of these looks is flirty and fun, and its not the completely over done fur freaking trench coat drowning that poor model. There is a reason that is a showroom picture, and the other one is from a real person (pardon the stripper tights). A coat that big is impractical (in terms of wearing it anywhere at all, and care), overdone to the point of killing the look (pardon the pun), and is so in your face its almost offensive. Keeping it short makes this type of investment piece wearable to more than just an Inaugural Ball, and trust me if its cold you are going to want to wear it.
2. Do NOT assume adding fur accessories will amplify the effect*
*In fact… avoid this like the plague.
I think a picture is worth a thousand words so I’ll let these gems speak for themselves for the most part.
a. Matching is a horrible idea most of the time anyways, in a tricky medium it more often than not spells disaster. No exception here.
b. This is a double whammy, long in length and matching trims (not to mention 1999 heels, and not in the fun lets bring back the decade way)… this does not say young and flirty.
c. A triple whammy, a mother-load of all things to not do with your fur: Long, with a fur hood? and MATCHING YOUR DOG!!!! Good god. No wonder fur has a bad rap.
3. Fur is meant to worn when its cold, so where it Everywhere!
Limiting the use of the fur to expected places limits not only what you can wear with it, but the effect you make… The poster girl Carrie Bradshaw herself:
That is why its so important to have a manageably sized fur, besides being too much statement for one statement piece and potentially more offensive; a large fur demands a fancy outfit reminiscent of the woman in all her jewelry and fur in the local bar drinking bourbon daily. Depending on your lifestyle, this probablyyyy is not an ideal parallel. If it needs to be a vest or even shorter to make it wearable, then its better to invest in that than a piece that will get worn once a year, maybe.
4. Actually know what you are wearing.
If its faux, know that. If its not… know what type of animal you are rocking. If you actually know about your coat and can answer smart questions about fur, then 99% of the time you can avoid any potential grief. If you are looking at buying options its worth it to look into the types of fur available and their pros and cons. In my experience, most people just want to pet it because its pretty rare outside of Carnegie Hall and even anti-fur peeps have been impressed of my knowledge of the coat.
…This would be a fun one to explain. (Note, I don’t recommend colored fur at all, but this I had to use)
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This is obviously not a post that everyone will find useful, but if you are looking to make a splash in the colder months and have an opportunity to acquire a fur (real or faux) I recommend it. This teaching moment comes from mental notes and observations from my own personal experience and if you need to boil it down… keep it short. These coats are big and warm, you don’t want to mishandle the nice comfy, sexy fur the first time out of the gate.
This is also not a piece to wear if you don’t want attention, especially if you wear it in more casual settings. Fur is great for all body types, but its your personaliy that matters here ladies.
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a.teaching.moment 