Possess Your STYLE

Today’s email is from a reader who’s a bit ahead of the game and is beginning to prepare for temps below zero:

Kalyn -

I need you to talk about “to Fur” or not to “Fur” and how to wear it. Vests, coats, Fur no no’s and repurposing fur. I have had several friends to ask me where they can get a good furier that can chop up their moms’ coats!!

Thanks!

–M

MY RESPONSE:

Dearest M -

You know I absolutely LOVE fur!!!! And, it’s in this Season in all shapes, colors and textures.  As I’ve said previously on this blog: Now, let’s be clear – I love all kinds of fur – faux, vintage, new – I don’t discriminate.  Yes,  I’m aware of the ethical issues and I’ve worked those out for myself.  If you have issues with fur, you do and you’re not alone.  I’m not writing this posting to convince anyone to drink my particular brand of koolaid on this point. However, I am writing it because wearing fur, faux or real, is a luxurious experience.

So if you’re questioning whether wearing fur is for you, find a FAB faux fur. They’re available at all price points, in almost any style you can think of and just about any color too.  Fur is in this Season – jackets, coats, capes, vests, boots and hats.  You name it and someone is making it in fur, both faux and real.  If you’re not sure about this “trend”, start of slow.  Find a cool hat or maybe a vest to see if the whole fur thing works for you.

To buy a real fur or not?  A good friend of mine has vowed never to buy a new fur based on her ethical concerns.  However, she has almost as many furs in her wardrobe as I do (heck, who knows, she may have me beat by a mile!).  How? She only buys vintage furs.  Her rationale is simple — by buying vintage she’s not contributing to anything she considers unethical.  It works for her, may work for you too.

My friend is on to something though.  A great way to help green our environment is to re-purpose goods, whether that good happens to be a fur coat given to you by a relative or whether you buy a fur at a resale shop (don’t laugh, believe it or not, I’ve gotten some great furs from holes in the wall).  What I’m going to call vintage furs, anything made before 1970 in my book, are often very heavy and sometimes uncomfortable to wear.  Having older furs restyled can make them lighter and easier to wear. Plus, who wants to walk around in an old-lady looking fur coat?  Trust me, it totally defeats the feeling of luxuriousness!  Where to have a fur restyled depends on where you live.  If you’re looking for someone in New York, I have a few places to send you.  If you’re outside of the 5 burroughs, I suggest that you either go to a department store with a large fur section and make inquiries there or go to a specialty fur store (you know the one your mom, grandmother or aunt got her coat from).  If these folks can’t help you out, they will certainly be able to point you in the right direction.  Bring pictures of coats, jackets, capes etc. that you like (maybe you want the collar from one coat and the sleeve from another).  Also, depending on the type of fur you’re dealing with, you may want to consider having your newly restyled fur sheared.

The world is your oyster!  Stay warm this Winter in whatever kind of fur you’re most comfortable in.  I’m eyeing this cute little faux fur vest myself …..

Stylishly yours,

Kalyn

From time to time, I receive emails from friends, family members, clients and readers with questions about what to wear, how to wear a certain item, the best methods of cleaning a particular item, etc.  I usually answer these requests one-on-one, but I realized as I was reading the following email that these questions are questions most of us have from time-to-time, so I’ve created a new category called “What Would Kalyn Wear?”.  I’d love your feedback, and of course, please send along any questions you my have and I’ll see what I can do to get them answered for you!

This email is from a lucky reader on her way to Europe for the first time (London & Paris) next month:

Dear Kalyn,

I am traveling to London and Paris for the very first time. What are the wardrobe essentials for my trip?

Au revoir (See?…I’m practicing my French already),

SA

MY RESPONSE:

Dear SA -

Quelle excitement!  You know how much I love Paris . . . and London’s not too bad either, you go girl.

First, make sure you have a comfortable yet stylish pair of walking shoes. Europeans do a lot of walking.  Ballet flats are an admirable choice, but remember they’re really really flat, so you may want to find some cushy shoe inserts to give your feet some support.  Leave the flip-flops (and even the FitFlops) in the States.

Second, since you’re probably going to be doing a lot of walking, bring a totebag.  Not your LLBean tote, you want to go for something a little more fashionable since the goal here is to have the Euros thinking you’re one of them. Longchamp, Goyard and anything black and interesting will fit the bill.

Third, don’t leave home without a little neck-candy; the Euros do neck-candy so well! Either a silk scarf or a pashmina or both to tie around your bag’s handle, around your neck when in the AC or in the evening and around you as a shawl as night falls.  And fourth, minimize on your packing.  As tempting as it is to bring everything but the kitchen sink, think about your itinerary — do you really need to bring 3 pairs of heels?  If you do, go for it; BUT think about what you need before you pack.  Black ensembles are the quickest way to look and feel chic in cities filled with well-dressed European women.  And because you’ll know virtually no one, you can get away with mixing and matching your black pieces and no one will be any wiser.  And lastly, try your outfits on before you leave to insure that the image in your head is what you will see in the mirror.

Here’s a list of the staples I suggest you contemplate packing:  black leggings/jeggings; a crisp white shirt or blouse; a black short-sleeved or long-sleeved t-shirt; a LBD; one pair of heels; a pair of black trousers; a clutch bag; some sort of sweater coat, coat or jacket that is dressy enough to go out in (i.e., no jean jackets) and accessories that will help to pull your outfits together and dress them up as well as down.  Travel stylishly my dear. Bon voyage!

Stylishly yours,

Kalyn

[A-5]