Fashion trend: Fur

STYLE & ERROR One woman tests the trends of the day.
TREND Shaggy.
WHY? Because Lanvin, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, Alberta Ferretti and Thakoon all went feathers and fur this winter.
TRENDOLOGY Undoubtedly the first trend known to humankind, fur dates back to fall/ winter 4000 BC. Feathers, on the other hand, are a more recent style phenomenon. Damsels stole the idea from medieval knights in armour who wore feather-crested helmets onto the battlefield. As a garnish for everything from hats to burlesque onesies, feathers have, ever since then, been deployed in a very different kind of warfare.

TEST DRIVE
Fashion has summoned the spirit of many muses to its cause—Cleopatra, Brigitte Bardot, Jackie O and, most recently, Princess Margaret—but never have I known it to summon the spirit of Chewbacca. Yet his furry presence was everywhere on the runways. Lest you rush out and acquire yourself a well-behaved mink or an adorably fluffy chinchilla, read on. In keeping with Chewbacca, the fur this season is irascible and long-haired, the kind you need to put a leash on—maybe even a muzzle—before you can wear it out in public. At Lanvin, the wild coats are made of feathers rather than fur, but, to me, they are surprisingly easy to wear.

Abominable-snowman coats go from cave to office to cocktail party without skipping a beat. Wear one, belted or buttoned up, with a pair of non-detracting trousers, boots or hose. The greater challenge comes when you have to integrate a shaggy item with an ensemble. Take the sleeveless shag-pile Marc Jacobs top with cascading Mongolian-shearling ruff. How can you wear one without looking like a goatherd? Or without sweating profusely? Because when you’ve got what amounts to an unsheared poodle draped around your neck, central heating becomes a menace.

How does the fur trend fare when put to the test? Find out on the next page...