With the indifference of the Melbourne Summer leaving me wearing jeans, a long sleeve shirt and a comfy sweatshirt, I feel that a fur coat is more appropriate than a pair of swimming bathers; sad to say really since a lot of people hang out for Summer. I enjoy the holiday but the weather can sometimes be murder. Given the choice, I always prefer to be able to turn on a heater or wear a few extra layers than have to strip down and sit in front of a fan or air conditioner panting like a sick dog.I've been after a lovely fur jacket for a while but I'm trying to balance my love of vintage pieces with my principals of not killing animals for fashion and well... it's not possible really. The fur jackets featured within this post include raccoon fur, rabbit and fox that has been dyed into wild colours. The most harmless may be Mongolian lamb hair but I still have my doubts- it must be my Chinese heritage that distrusts the gongs.
The positive side of cheetah and leopard prints is that there is no way possible that it's genuine fur and any mad PETA supporters will surely avoid splashing paint on you, unless its for dramatic effect and to make a point. It's still a large and showy vintage piece but with the contrast of light honey gold and black you can dress it up or down but I wouldn't mind wearing a plain black dress or skirt and blouse combination with the jacket, letting it be the centre of attention. All of these photographs and jackets are from the same online seller but there seems to be a very high mark-up for quality vintage pieces, something I do tut at but cannot starve by taking my business elsewhere. 
My favourite fur jacket was already sold long before I had ever clapped eyes on it but I was instantly captivated by the name given to the vintage treasure, 'Poison Ivy'. It's real raccoon fur which is a shame since they are such cute little creatures but it's been dyed a shade bordering on teal and what might be considered blue with tints of black in a long and predictable trailing pattern. I childishly believe that if it doesn't look like natural fur then it isn't but where else would I find such soft and touchable hairs and the wild and colourful pattern creating a parade of colour before my very eyes?
This is the Mongolian lamb hair jacket dyed a brilliant but devilish shade of red, but at first glance you wouldn't have guessed the identity of the animal which so kindly sacrificed its own warmth for fashion. I love the way it engulfs an entire body, a substitute for proper interaction and being held with a furry wrath of its own that could almost be alive. The simple addition of thick boots with a killer heel and platform wedge as well as matching red lipstick was all that was needed for this model to convince me that buying this jacket was a necessary element of life and that I needed it as much as I needed oxygen to survive- had this jacket too not been sold already. I know I have previously complained about not being supplied with a sold archive but it's also a let down to see lovely pieces online I can't buy because someone's got more cash than me and beat me to it.
I'm most likely going to cave in and buy a cheap leopard printed cardigan in the style of Opening Ceremony since I can't deal with competition and I'm trying to avoid bulky things to add space into my wardrobe. The knit I'm thinking of is a similar shade to what you can see from this fur jacket and the positives is that it won't be as hard to find and won't have been made from preying on the suffering of a cute little animal. Still, I have been left feeling a little inspired by the use of Sterling silver necklaces featuring bones to form crosses as well as outrageously short black dresses and thick heeled shoes/ boots.
