Let the Coat do the Talking
I’ve been on the hunt for a fur coat for a couple of months now after seeing this over-sized red beauty in Forever 21. Total heart eye emoji moment, trust me! I was devastated that the Medium was too big and they’d sold out, not just in store but online too, in a Small.
Gutted.
My love affair with fur coats has been a long standing one. Ever since my mum showed me her vintage fur coat when I was little I dreamed of having one too but the internal battle with my own animal-loving principles won out.
Obviously the quality of faux fur has come on leaps and bounds since I was a little girl but I lost the confidence to rock such a statement piece. In swoops this absolute stunner of a coat from Missguided to steal my heart (£65) and reinstate my love affair with faux fur.
It’s well and truly doing the rounds at the moment, with every faux fur item imaginable available on the high street! And I’m well and truly on that band wagon and loving every second. We’ve been blessed with decent enough weather so far in Manchester – the rain has, for the most part, held off in favour of crisp cold mornings that are perfect for snuggling up in a big fluffy coat.
I have several statement coats/jackets in my wardrobe. Without really realising it, it’s sort of my ‘thing’. From a leopard print leather biker jacket to a Desigual patchwork winter number and even a bright blue/green Adidas Originals Cropped Bomber – if I’m going to go bold, outwear is the way I do it.
Being petite – 5’3 to be exact – I’ve got to be clever with proportions. So although an oversized army jacket might look awesome in the summer with a mini skirt, it doesn’t cut the mustard when it comes to a bulky faux fur piece. That Forever 21 jacket being sold out was a blessing in disguise really because it meant that I found this stunning piece in my favourite A/W shade – ahh burgundy, how I love you so!
I sized up in this so that I could get a jumper underneath but you honestly wouldn’t need to as its super thick and cosy and not as slim fitting as Missguided would lead you to believe. I’m also super chuffed that it actually fastens! You’d be surprised how many fur coats DON’T have any fastenings, or have one really flimsy one, but this coat has three. Yes, three! Call me sad but I feel like I’m winning at life when a purchase so glamorous is also delightfully practical.
There are some truly lust-worthy faux fur pieces on the high street right now and I know that, for most people, styling a fur coat could be tricky. Especially one in a statement colour or print, which is definitely this seasons’ key trend.
Today's tip: let the coat do the talking.
Despite opting for a more classic colour I want the coat to be centre of attention so I referred back to an old faithful – black. Black is a comfort blanket that so many of us struggle to throw out, despite our style maturity far outgrowing it. Fashion bloggers these days would have you think black was a dirty word! If the mood takes me then I’ll go all out pattern clashing and in vibrant colours and own it. But it’s not always what I want to wear and I do have a tendency to lean towards either more classic or grungy styles, depending on what’s appropriate. So black is my best friend and its ok if it’s yours too!
Not one to ever let go of my inner rock goddess (yes, I still dream of being on the main stage of Glastonbury with an enraptured crowd singing my words back at me while I bask in the glory of being awesome) my go-to shoe is these awesome biker boots from Zara. My favourite staple and most worn piece in my wardrobe right now. True love never dies.
In-keeping with that grungy vibe I teamed it with these Hollister high-rise ripped skinny jeans (£44) which are honestly the most flattering pair of jeans I’ve owned in a LONG time. I’d strongly recommend checking out Hollister’s denim section; I guarantee you’ll be very pleasantly surprised! These are my third pair and they fit like an absolute dream and wash lovely too. For someone who struggles to get the hype around Topshop’s jeans, it’s a miracle to find such a hidden gem in an unsuspecting place.
The silk shirt I’m wearing and PVC cross-body bag are both vintage – the former from COW in Manchester’s famous Northern Quarter, a treasure-trove of glorious vintage and re-worked pieces and the latter from a cheap charity shop in Stockport’s Underbank which I’m almost certain I only paid a fiver for. Win!
#Forever21 #Hollister #fauxfur #Missguided #vintage #charityshop #Zara #black #denim #AW17