With Summer coming to an end and Autumn just around the corner, this is a perfect time to begin thinking about which jackets and coats you need to invest in for the coming months. Rather than write about what the key trends are in this season, I am going to write a series of blogs about the must-have coats and jacket styles that you should have in your wardrobe every year. These are the styles that never go out of fashion which makes them timeless investment pieces for any woman.
Check out the gorgeous Julia-Sarr Jamois at Fashion week styling it out in her faux fur coat.
SOURCE: STYLE CASTER BLOG / PINTEREST
When I was thinking about this article and the styles that I would include, I came to think about what I have in my own wardrobe. For the most part, my coats and jackets collection is made up of vintage items. Why? I find that for my budget and style, the quality of the clothing is much better, the style more individual and therefore, it makes sense for me to invest in an item that is better value for money, gives me a unique look while also being sustainable. There’s nothing wrong with doing a little to help the environment every now and again.
The key coats and jackets that will follow in this series of blogs are:
- The faux fur jacket / coat
- The shearling / aviator jacket / coat
- The trench coat
- The box jacket
- The blazer
- The bomber jacket (for all you 90s ravers!)
- The maxi cashmere coat
- The leopard / cheetah print coat (long live the animal print!!!)
First up for this blog is the absolute must have: the faux fur jacket /coat. As we all know, fur is a subject of much debate among fashionistas. I won’t go into that here as I’d rather push the point that, if you are careful about choosing the right faux fur coat, it will look as amazing as the real thing. WARNING: many high street brands, however, sell faux fur coats that still actually contain real fur - so be careful when purchasing from the high street and do your research before handing over your cash. Also, remember - you can usually get yourself a beautiful vintage faux fur jacket for half the cost of the ones on the high street. A little plug - we have some gorgeous faux fur coats and jackets on our NEON HUSTLE website, so go check them out here!!
So, why do you need a faux fur jacket? Well, I'm going to quote one of my favourite fashion icons here, Chloe Sevigny, who commented. "It would be a damn shame if I lived this long as a blonde and didn't invest in some fab faux fur."....oh, and by the way, you don't need to be blonde to wear faux fur.
SOURCE: CELEBINSPIRE, TUMBLR
Every year, at every fashion week, fashionistas are wearing faux fur and showing it off in all its glory. It's becoming more and more interesting to see the different styles coming out, with an emphasis building towards brighter, bolder, often longer length faux furs. Naturally, the high street has been following suit and bringing out more variations on the traditional faux fur while attempting to keep up with the trend. This is simply a MUST HAVE for your wardrobe. If, year on year, the fashion leaders of the world are giving it the thumbs up, then the faux fur has to be doing something right. If your budget doesn't afford you the luxury of buying what the fashionistas are wearing, then there are some great alternatives out there on the hight street. H&M did an incredible job of getting it right with their 2015 multi-coloured faux fur coat as seen below.
SOURCE: PINTEREST & MY SHOWROOM BLOG
Of course, I have a few vintage 70s and 80s faux fur coats tucked away in my wardrobe and they are all stunning. I wear them all the time in Berlin / London during winter and they always keep me nice and snug. I dress them up or down, with either a dress or some mom jeans with trainers, depending on my mood or the style I want to go for. What I love most about the faux fur jacket (apart from the fact that they are super snug in those colder months), is that they are super versatile, look sexy and cool. Perfect wardrobe investment!
So, I thought it would be helpful to put together a few examples of some great looks to inspire you on how to wear a faux fur jacket or coat. ...starting with this incredible bold multi-coloured coat worn by the beautiful Julia - Sarr Jamois
SOURCE: VOGUE PARIS ONLINE
For a great high street version of this bold, multicoloured coat from Moschino, check out Topshop's version here: Topshop coat
When buying any vintage faux fur coat, I always check the quality of the material - to ensure it hasn’t been wet, doesn’t have moth holes and doesn’t smell as though it has been stored away in a musty loft for decades. Of course, you can always get the jacket dry cleaned but you’re usually looking at a good £20 minimum for this - so you might want to consider that when assessing the overall cost of your investment. One major problem with some vintage faux fur jackets is that they haven’t been properly cared for. This can mean it ends up looking dull, the fur matted and often clumped together and the hooks rusty. Steer clear of these jackets as it’s pretty tricky to get them to return to their original glory once in this state. Besides, there are such a vast number of vintage faux fur coats out there in great condition, that you will find a perfect one for you - so don’t rush to buy a second rate one, as it’s a waste of money.
The flair and versatility of the faux fur jacket or coat is probably far greater than you imagined. Many celebrity fashionistas such as Olivia Palermo, Poppy Delevingne (as pictured below), Gigi Hadid, Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne, all rock the faux fur with different styles.
Here are some great looks on how people have styled it out, dressing it up or down. It is a statement piece, and it does get you attention - but when was that ever a bad thing?
Faux fur is such a glamorous statement piece when dressed up with some killer heels and a chic dress. Fashion icon and supermodel Kate Moss shows us how to team up a faux fur jacket with an elegant maxi dress. If you're after a similar jacket then check out this gorgeous caramel faux fur jacket available from Neon Hustle.
SOURCE: GRAZIA UK
Equally cool and more casual is the jeans and trainers combination, with the long faux fur coat and clutch bag. Other Stories currently have a gorgeous black faux fur coat available for an affordable price of £125 which is a good investment for what I consider to be one of the better high street brands out there at the moment. For an even more affordable version, head over to Forever 21 to check out their black faux fur jacket coming in at a bargain £34.
SOURCE: PINTEREST
If you're after a real statement piece then opt for the bold coloured faux fur coat paired with a cool branded tee and jeans. You can also totally layer the bold coloured coats with other prints like these ladies at Milan Fashion week!
SOURCE: ELLE SPAIN / PINTEREST
SOURCE: PINTEREST
SOURCE: GLAMSUGAR.COM
When I was researching the best high street coloured faux fur coats, I discovered this gorgeous coat on ASOS. It's reminiscent of the mustard coat above and looks super cool. It is slightly more expensive at £140 - but shipping is free worldwide!
Sticking with the casual style, just throw your faux fur jacket over a vintage tshirt with jeans and trainers for a effortlessly cool street style. Practically, it lets you dress lightly while still giving you that extra warmth you also need to stay cosy in those cold winter months!
SOURCE: HOW TO CHIC BLOG
I found this cool faux fur jacket over at New Look - with the choice of pale or dark grey. These jackets come at a bargain price of £59.99 and beat similarly priced jackets on the high street. It's a much more affordable version of the coat from Italian designers Lilly e Violetta at Harrods. Lily e Violetta coat.
Faux fur jackets are also great for those summer nights that drift into the Autumn. They look great when paired up with some vintage denim shorts and a retro tee. Check out Rachel Barnes Horowitz below showing us exactly how it's done
SOURCE: PINTEREST
In terms of where to buy vintage faux fur coats and jackets, there are so many options that you are spoiled for choice. We at NEON HUSTLE have some beautiful vintage faux furs available with more following in the coming months, but of course, you also have some other amazing vintage boutiques available to you. Rokit Vintage and Beyond Retro are obvious choices, however, Asos vintage marketplace is a treasure chest of vintage clothing, so head over there now to check out all the great vintage boutiques .
The multi coloured, chevron faux fur coat (as worn below by Barbara Martelo, Chief Editor of Vogue Spain), is a bold style statement but looks incredible. Just team up with some leather trousers and a plain top to finish the look.
SOURCE: PINTEREST
Faux fur jackets also add a touch of glamour to skirts, be that a mini, a midi or a maxi. Jenna Lyons from J CREW knows how to combine the two and look absolutely stunning.
SOURCE: PINTEREST / GLAMOUR UK
SOURCE: PINTEREST
SOURCE: PINTEREST / STYLE DUMONDE
At this point, I'm hoping that I am now preaching to the converted and that you will soon be on the hunt for a faux fur jacket / coat to add to your wardrobe.
As I am writing this from Berlin, I wanted to give some advice below on where you could buy a vintage faux fur jacket while here. Berlin is FULL of amazing vintage and gives London some stiff competition.
Unfortunately, prices are rising as it becomes ever more popular. I also know that many of you will have done some research and will head to one of the many HUMANA shops here in Berlin, but as a vintage clothes lover based in Berlin, here are my tips for where to go:
REPEATER VINTAGE - check out their cool shop in Neukolln for all your vintage needs. It is located near super cool Weserstrassse, which is littered with cafes and bars - perfect for a post-vintage shopping-binge coffee or beer!
PICKNWEIGHT VINTAGE - located on the super cool Bergmannstrasse (full of great cafes and restaurants), this shop is perfect for all those who love the whole pay per kilo vintage shop experience. They also have a shop in MITTE , if you are on the other side of town. Similarly, they have now opened shops in Hamburg and Munich.
CHECKPOINT AND CINEMA - based in Kreuzberg at Mehringdamm 41, this lesser known vintage shop is only a short 5 minute walk from PICK N WEIGHT VINTAGE on Bergmannstrasse. No doubt it's less well known because they have no website, their facebook page hasn't been updated in a while and so on. However, I really love this place as it has such a huge variety of vintage (for men and for women). Prices are decent and you can definitely spend couple of hours in here looking through everything.
My recommendation is go to picknweight vintage first, then stroll along Bergmannstrasse and enjoy some lunch at any of the fantastic restaurants there, followed by another short walk to CHECKPOINT AND CINEMA vintage shop. Finish off your vintage shopping with a visit to REPEATER in Neukolln (ten mins away by ubahn). Once you've finished your shopping at Repeater, head along Weserstrasse to any one of the bars or cafes for a beer or latte. I recommend Nathanja and Heinrich where you can chill and enjoy some gorgeous vintage interiors.