One last one fur you…

I am going skiing next year for the first time in a very very long time and it would appear that Alpine fashions have moved on considerably since I last graced the slopes with my presence (for that read can’t ski, to the extent that have had to be escorted down the mountain by Italian ski police while then boyfriend (now husband) merrily boarded off to the bottom of the slope, hate the cold, have poor circulation oh and it costs a bloody bomb). So I started my quest in my local Trespass store – terrible idea  as some poor spotty teenager tried to persuade me of the merits of the most vile ski jacket in the store. However, ever one for a bargain, I did find some salopettes which I tried on. Subsequently I have been reliably informed by friends and husband alike – behind barely concealed guffaws that I could have ever worked in the fashion business or claim to have any sense of style – that these are totally not the thing anymore. Well, other than the price tag there was nothing to recommend these trews. Think Elvis meets Kim Kardashian: gigantic bum and hips with flares mixed in with a bit of Minion thanks to the dungaree element.

It turns out Topshop do very good ski gear – well who knows if it is good or not – but at least I will not feel like a giant marshmallow rolling down the pistes. (I am wearing the Belted Ski Jacket and Skinny Salopettes which have detachable straps but are pretty Simon Cowell). It also turns out that I have inadvertently sided myself on the Russian ski bunny side of the clothing divide and not the cool boarding side. Hey ho I can live with that, because I have to admit that I do love a bit of fur. Not Russian Oligarch/ Joan Collins/extra from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (there is a fine line) style real fur.  And actually you don’t need to worry your conscience because there is just rather a lot of good fake fur around these days.

So enough of the preamble and on to some actual garms…

Fur accessories are a good entrée if you are merely dipping your toe into the world of fur. Hush has this lovely Fur Scarf £55 which comes in three gorgeous colours but only the forest green is in stock.

Banana Republic also has this Faux Rabbit Fur Scarf £44.99 in the sale which is lovely in the navy.

And it has these Faux Fur Pull Through Scarves £24.99 in black and blonde (!).

Zara also has fur aplenty including this Small Faux Fur Stole £29.99. Lovely and vintage looking in the brown colour but there is a lighter grey too.

Back to the snow bunny look and Oliver Bonas has these beanies:

Grey Knitted Rib Beani £16

And Two Tone Pom Hat £16.

Marais Fur does these Angora Pom Pom Hats £40.

Their fluro range is lovely but sold out – one to remember for next year.

Or if you are going more Bond girl (also a look I am happy to attempt to channel) then Accessorize has this black Faux Fur Bando Hat £15. Doesn’t look much without a real head in it.

If you don’t fancy doing a Dallas/Dynasty (child of the 80s) then going for a style with a fur collar is a good option. Lots of styles out there have detachable ones which means you get two looks for the price of one.

I have this Topshop Faux Fur Collar Biker Jacket £55 which is super snuggly for now but the collar comes off so I can wear this all year round.

For a coat then try this Water Repellent Detachable Parka £89.99 from Zara. With a detachable fur trim to the hood, this will see you through the year as there is also a detachable inner lining.

Taking it up a notch there is of course the fur gilet, which is particularly great for pear shapes (great diversionary tactic which sure as hell balances out the bottom half!). House of Fraser has a number of options and as the Xmas sales are already in full swing, you can pick up a bargain.

Maison de Nimes Faux Fur Gilet £48.30 reduced from £69.

There is also this Gray & Willow Falen Fur Gilet £59.40 reduced from £99. A rather nice look, this whole outfit.

Or possibly my favourite is this Superdry Luxe Fur Gilet in Black £84.99. Probably the only Superdry product that doesn’t have the logo emblazoned across it’s front/side/rear/collar/pocket etc.

If you want to go full-on Cookie Monster then this Jayley Luxurious Stripe Faux Fur Jacket £155 on ASOS is the thing. The style I really wanted is annoyingly out of stock – probably because it is only £65.

And finally, if you are someone who is always losing their keys then attach one of these Faux Fur Pom Pom Key Rings £27 from Hush and you are in with a much better chance of regaining those lost minutes wasted on the daily key hunt. Or add it to your bag for a little bit of fun.

So Happy Christmas and goodbye to 2016… 2017 here we come!