"I like to feel blonde all over"
- Marilyn Monroe
In the depths of my memory palace I have a special place for people wearing white fur coats...I am magnetically drawn to them. It could have been Marilyn Monroe who triggered it. Back in 1999 when I was running wild, I bribed my parents into allowing me to take a day off school to go to the Christie's view in London before all her clothes and personal effects were auctioned off. I was there the with my nose up against the window from the second it opened and was there when the doors were closed - I was nearly forcibly removed. I spent the day forensically examining her driving licence, notebooks, film scripts, clothes...but in particular the furs.The obsession had begun with being blonde and wearing white fur coats.
From that day forth I turned my back on a life of truancy and instead decided my existence would revolve around a bottle of peroxide (my hair took a very dim view of that eventually) eyelash glue and scouting out fur. These days I'm more of a brunette so I find the best way to channel Marilyn is to wear white and fluffy in coat form - it's such a lovely feeling and does wonders for the complexion in the grey of Winter. (Monroe famously wore white near her face to reflect the light - it works!). On a dreary old day a bit of white fur is just the thing to keep you toasty (ALWAYS vintage, never new)...as long as it's not raining. I have often been caught out by a passing shower and had to do the wet dog look/smell all day. So make sure you have an umbrella or some Febreze handy. The other rule when wearing white fur is to forgo red lipstick or lacquer on your lips...any red lipstick contact with the collar and you end up looking like you've been involved in the Saint Valentines Massacre. The latter will make you feel like you've got the actual fuzzy end of the lollipop.
Just as I was deciding on what winter coat would see me through until early March/April I saw this image of Rita Hayworth in all her glory on my Instagram feed from the super wonderful Another Magazine.Well that was that...I'm not very good at practical and before I knew it, I was bidding on more white fur coats on eBay. Argh!
I am currently on white coat No. 5. Coats 1 to 4 have been left in various locations and taxis around London (never retrieved) or eaten by naughty moths. The following are ones I've loved and lost or have been consigned to the pet graveyard section of my wardrobe:
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| This eBay classic saved me a fortune on heating. I look a bit trampy here. |
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| This gilet was bought from Portobello market...my absolute favourite... but sadly it hasn't dealt very well with the ravages of time. |
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| Another eBay find. They said it came from a smoke free, pet free home. But I think they were lying. I think they were keeping moths as pets. |
Besides Marilyn, I take my inspiration for wrapping up for Winter from the following:
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| Lara in Dr. Zhivago - she knew what she was doing when the temperature dropped below zero. |
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| Kate Moss. Just lovely. |
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| Edie Bouvier Beale of Grey Gardens fame. Check out the infamous documentary. The aunt and cousin of Jackie Kennedy living out their years in a decaying house in East Hampton, New York. Fascinating. Their style in particular. |
If you have the ick about real fur or fancy a bit of colour in your life then there is AMAZING faux stuff out there. I would suggest checking out Unreal Fur which is super cool. A new company who is totally on my radar is Shrimps. I am OBSESSED. Just get on their joyful website. Or buy their pieces from Avenue 32. I've started with their Vincent Clutch but am saving for a coat. Topshop has lots of great furry things at the moment too.
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| My Vincent Clutch from Shrimps |
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| This is completely nothing to do with anything but for the movie buffs amongst you, you'll know this is the final line from Some Like It Hot (best final line of any movie). I saw these Hugo Guinness t-shirts for J. Crew which are now on my shopping list. |
So I turned out to be the highest bidder on this wonderful coat. Here it is, keeping me warm along with my favourite leather trainers from Common Projects and Sophie Hulme handbag. I am ready for a cold front!
Right, pass the peroxide.
