Sam Muses: How to Wear... Faux Fur and Winter Warmers

Saturday 29 September 2012

How to Wear... Faux Fur and Winter Warmers

It's time to get your winter heavyweights ready girls - it may still be blazer weather during the day, but your transitional jackets and lightweight macs won't keep out the evening chill for too much longer (especially if you live in the UK). Even if you're not as excitable about faux fur as I am (I bought this season's first piece in August, on the hottest day of the year - never leave anything you love behind), hopefully, by the time you've read this post you'll agree that winter does have some redeeming qualities.

Classic Winter Wool

A heavyweight woollen coat hitting mid-thigh or below is a must for AW - you're bound to be able to find one to suit your style.

Colour pop shades add vibrance to a classic look, and are great for illuminating neutrals or blocking with other tones. Rich berry, scarlet, orange, navy and mustard tones are perfect for this time of year.

Coat: Freemans (Past Season)
Dress and Shoes: Primark (Past Season)
Tights and Hair Band: Accessorize (Past Season)

An empire line cut gives an elegant vintage feel and has a flattering effect on nearly all body types.

A crombie coat is great for less girly types, or toying with a touch of androgyny, and the cocoon cut will cover a multitude of sins. I'm intrigued by this Primark coat as it's so different from the styles I'd usually pick out.

This Primark peplum coat is top of my grab-as-soon-as-it-drops list. The peplum gives a classic heritage-inspired style a feminine twist, whilst the buttons hint at military styling. The shape is fantastic for accentuating or creating hourglass curves.

The only thing that can make a princess coat more irresistible? Fur collar and cuffs. I love the way this beyond-cute Miss Selfridge number combines classic camel with animal print.

A super-feminine, super-cute take on the duffle, this coat from Tu at Sainsbury's will look as perfect with a pencil skirt as it will with jeans.

A full-length coat is an investment you'll never regret (especially if you can find the one in Primark). A godsend for those times when your dream dress just looks somehow frumpy and wrong poking out from under the hem of every other coat you own, and amazingly snug with boots and furry accessories on those arctic winter days - pick a wrap style or one that nips you in at the waist to maintain shape.

Coat and Boots: Primark (Past Season)
Hat: Miss Selfridge (Past Season)

The Duster
For a go-with-anything cover-up with a swinging sixties feel, grab a duster. Flattering on most shapes, this metallic Primark version will look stunning on a night out.

Faux Fur

The Accessories
Not only practical but soooo much fun, a cossack hat or dalmatian print pillbox and mittens give a sophisticated From Russia with Love edge to a wintry look. Generally, it's best to keep furry accessories and coats separate (unless it's reeeeeally cold), or it can all get a bit eskimo/Cruella de Vil. I like to wear mine with classic fitted sweater dresses or vintage-inspired blouse and midi skirt ensembles. Accessorize and Next have some gorgeous cossack hats in their AW12 collections.

Dalmatian Hat and Mittens: River Island (Past Season)
Coat: As Above
Blouse: Primark (Past Season)
Skirt: ASOS (SS12)
Tights: Primark
Shoes: New Look (Past Season)
Cossack Hat: Miss Selfridge (Past Season)
Sweater Dress: Warehouse (Past Season)
Necklace: Primark (Past Season)

The Coats

Faux fur gilets look great layered over chunky knits, maxi dresses or sweater dresses for a boho/rock chick vibe, or over a lightweight mac or parka to extend their seasonal lifespan. This one is from F&F at Tesco.

Fur jackets and coats are perfect partners for both casual and formal looks - adding a seventies glam rock feel to jeans, leather skinnies and boho maxis, and a touch of old Hollywood glamour to evening dresses, pencil skirts and floaty midis. Give bodycon minis a wide berth though - Pretty Woman is not your inspiration here.

New Look, £39.99

A short-haired, cropped, animal print style adds the perfect dose of silver screen stardust to a vintage-inspired daytime or sophisticated night-time look.

F&F at Tesco, £40

A longer-haired, hip-skimming jacket in neutral or colour pop shades looks great with long boots pulled over leather or denim skinnies.

Mr Vintage at New Look, £49.99

A|Wear, £80

Long, chunky faux fur coats beg to be belted for an elegant hourglass silhouette. Don't feel you need to stick to the belt or tie your garment comes with - switch it up for different looks - skinny, wide, embellished...