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Fur the Hottest controversial Trend for Autumn / Winter 2011- 2012

Not necessarily new for autumn/winter 2011/2012 fur has become a trend for the colder season.

In times of an economic downturn, the fashion world looks to ways to renew our desire for luxury. It may seem contradictory but in many ways it stands to reason that fur has played such a prominent role on the runways for several years running; luxurious and glamorous, faux and real, yet warm and practical.  There were certainly those who imagined that fur, with all the controversy it generates and all the violent opposition it receives, would quickly pass as a trend. But the exact opposite has happened.

The resurgence of fur continues strongly as a fashion trend in autumn 2011 and beyond as a part of 2012’s fashions.

Here is fur and how to style it in 2011 and 2012

Faux fur

The purpose of this article is not to comment on the fur debate, but rather to report an element of fashion that, in spite of the efforts of groups such as PETA, has swept the runways. Of course it wasn’t all real fur; plenty of designers from Chanel to Stella McCartney to Topshop have produced countless faux fur offerings. The choice to wear or not to wear fur is entirely up to your personal beliefs; what we would say is that any of the on-trend styles in 2011 and beyond can work in either real fur or faux fur, as long as the latter is of quality.

Fur clothing in 2011 and 2012

For winter 2011 and into 2012 fur clothing is all about statement fur coats, whether the coat is made completely made of fur or simply accented with it.

With the return of 70s fashion this has a major influencer upon fur. Gucci’s autumn 2011 runway was in luxuriously fluffy furs that were covered in bright jewel tones and paired against the unmistakable 70s glamour of felt hats and retro leathers. On other catwalks fur jackets were designed in such a way that they might as well have come straight off the backs of 1970s icons Maryanne Faithful and Anita Pallenberg.

These are the styles that are dominating now:

Fur coats & fur trim

Long, short, thick, fine, real fur or faux fur coats as an autumn/winter 2011/2012 fashion trend have few rules. On the runways, however, they’ve been mostly to the classic side, leaning to either all-over fur or outerwear with fur trim.

For the latter the most common trims are fur collars and fur cuffs, though on the autumn/winter 2011/2012 runways we also saw fur edging on the hems of jackets or skirts.

Fur sleeves

In recent years the dominant style was the boho fur gillet; a sleeveless vest where the fur covered only the torso. In 2011 that style has been replaced by the inverse: a jacket with full fur sleeves. This creates an entirely different look, a sudden burst of volume that can turn the wearer into some angelic, winged creature. This style works fantastically well when paired with structure and tailoring and is a hark back to the fur fashions of the 30s and 40s.

Coloured fur

Natural fur colours are still the most prominent, from snowy white to grey, brown to black. But 2011 has also heralded in the aforementioned trend of brightly coloured furs. Dyed to unnatural colours like bold shades of purple, green, red or blue, these are furs that stand out doubly much.

While in previous seasons fur came almost exclusively in more or less natural colours in autumn/ winter 2011/ 2012 it arrived dyed in bold, often unexpected shades. Purple, green, blue, and red are seen as the tones of fur that will be trendy this season.

Fur accessories

Outerwear may reign supreme when it comes to fur in 2011 and 2012, but fur accessories can still be found aplenty. Whether a furry Cossack hat, fur neck-warmer or scarf, fur lined boots or gloves, you can add a cosy touch of fur to any outfit without having to go for a full coat or piece of fur clothing.

This is how to wear fur in 2011 / 2012

  • Take it back to the 70s by wearing a pair of flared jeans with a belted fur coat or a cropped fur chubby.

  • The swinging sixties will be capturing our imaginations as we move further towards 2012. A fur coat with a mini skirt screams 60s chic.

  • For a powerful, masculine-inspired look influenced by the 30s and 40s pair a luxury fur coat with some tailored wide-leg pants.

  • For a feminine take on the same era you could opt for a fur stole (though we haven’t seen as many of these in 2011) or a longer coat with fur trim.

  • Fur and leather go naturally hand in hand; so any pieces or outfits that mix fur with leather clothing will work well.

Fur for men

Think fur as a runway trend has only been for women? Think again. While nowhere near as well-known, fur for men did feature on many autumn/winter 2011/2012 menswear catwalks. Lagging a little behind womenswear, 2011 showed hints of the primitive pelt styles for men, spotted at the likes of Qasimi Homme and Balmain.

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