Is The Faux Fur Coat Cool Again?
The Handbook’s Contributing Fashion and Lifestyle Editor, Astrid Carter, has long loved a faux fur coat. This season, the vintage-inspired piece makes a welcome return, but with an entirely new mood. Here’s how she’ll be styling it for a modern approach, plus her favourite styles available now.
The faux fur coat has had many iterations in my wardrobe over the years. There was a cropped shaggy number that I’d pick up on Portobello Market, aged 18, that made me feel like Kate Moss in her hedonism days. I wore it until the threads came loose under the arm and I dread to think how many drinks were spilt over it during my “Indie Sleeze” era.
My inherited grandmother’s faux fur feels like a warm hug when I put it on and despite the fact it would barely harbour a tenner if put on Vinted, holds huge sentiment.
There was the Zara leopard print one that went on to lead a new life in an Islington charity shop, but given leopard print’s current renaissance moment and imitable status as a ‘neutral’, I often think of and kick myself for not keeping it. And then there’s the chocolatey brown, super cosy old M&S one that I cherished when my grandmother passed away. Full disclosure: she had a collection of real furs, too, but even given their vintage credentials, they feel problematic to wear today. The faux fur one, however, feels like a warm hug when I put it on, and despite the fact it would barely harbour a tenner if put on Vinted, it holds huge sentiment.
Despite the long-standing role the faux fur has played in my look, in recent years, I’ve veered away from them. They just felt a little done, a bit silly (especially in fussy leopard or floor-length blush pink) when, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to streamline my wardrobe into that immutable French capsule edit we all long for – no mean feat for a magpie like me who is inherently a bit silly when it comes to clothes.
However, as winter ’24 has crept in, I’ve been spotting the faux fur everywhere and it feels so fresh, so cool and modern. That’s all down to the styling. Where once I would have worn fluffy lipgloss-catching faux furs on nights out with jacquard mini dresses and sky-high platforms and doing my best interpretation of Edie Sedgwick; or in the daytime with flared denim and boho blouses – very ’70s; or with tights and tea dresses and twee hair to channel Margot Tennenbaum; the new mood is all about pairing a rather glamourous, OTT faux fur jacket with something quite casual and lowkey.
Case in point, Instagram stars @whatgigiwears and @viaemmajang, have paired vintage-look, old Hollywood glamour-style coats with baggy jeans and baseball caps, straight-leg denim and ankle boots. The juxtaposition is what makes them look cool. It’s all a bit off, much like TikTok’s favourite ‘wrong shoe theory‘ that went viral this year. Plus, faux fur has really come on with styles that are gloriously soft and fluffy rather than shiny and polyester-esque. From animal prints at ASOS, Free People and Warehouse to chocolate brown dreamy pieces at & Other Stories and Unknown Source, to pure winter wonderland joy at the likes of Marela London and The Frankie Shop. And, on a purely practical note, you don’t get much warmer than a great faux fur coat.
Shop my current faux fur coat favourites below…
The Frankie Shop’s Rella faux fur would get the approval of Margot Tenenbaum. Style up with colour pop tights and a shift dress or down with baggy jeans and a pair of Adidas Originals.
Maniere Devoir’s scarfed faux fur coat will bring a vintage feel to your look. We love it dressed up over a floor-sweeping silk skirt in the evening, but its chocolate hue is equally as good paired with light-wash denim and brown suede boots.
Much-loved London-based brand, Shrimps, started with their colour-popping faux fur coats and has grown into a fully fledged womenswear brand with instantly recognisable looks and cool collaborations. Their fun faux furs are still one of my favourites if you want something to keep you cosy and make a statement.
Add edge to a cropped faux fur by pairing it with baggy jeans and trainers.
The products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however, The Handbook may make a small commission on some products purchased through affiliate links.
