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Fashion 263 with Tafadzwa Zimoyo
It is true that, “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. The colour of spring-time is flowers; the colour of winter is in our imagination,” said author Hal Borland.

Let’s face it, it is cold outside, and being stuck at home is not the best solution.

We need to brave this cold by dressing warmly to go out.

We have seen a lot of fashion items topping this winter from scarves, coats, tracksuits and one item which seems to have brought style sense is the faux fur.

What could be cosier and trendy for winter style than a soft and cuddly faux fur coat?

Whether you have always wanted a sophisticated faux fur coat that looks just like the real deal, or you gravitate more to fun fur fashion jackets designed in bold colours and prints, you’ve got plenty of choices from the fashion retailers this winter.

Once you have bought your perfect faux fur coat, you are going to need some ideas to work it into your wardrobe.

Walking in town, it’s rare not to bump into women in faux fur coat or vest, no matter how unreal or not genuine it maybe.

The good thing now is fur is also flexing its muscles again and proving its worth in modern menswear.

Rewind to the end of the 18th century and you will come across a historical phenomenon known as the ‘Great Male Renunciation’.

This saw menswear turn its back to brilliant and refined forms, leaving the fashion of adornment and beauty to women’s wear.

Nowadays, men might worry that wearing fur will make them look like something in between a Viking tribesman and a pimp.

But these men should fear not, because the tide is changing.

Fur is becoming increasingly formidable in menswear, assisted by the striking ensembles of stars as big as Kanye West, Connor McGregor and Macklemore.

Just this year, fur and shearling were used in a third of the collections shown in London and New York and in over three-quarters of the shows in Milan.

Paris saw a slight increase from 2016, with fur and shearling included in 66 percent of the collections.

Designers recognise that not all men are ready to wear a Kim Kardashian-esque floor-length coat or AW/15 Saint Laurent hot pink fur coat (yet).

Instead, fur gloves, insoles, collars, trims and hoods are all enjoying designers’ attention, becoming increasingly striking in colour, shape and size.

In particular, Gucci’s now-iconic fur-lined loafers are raising eyebrows of envy instead of bemusement, and the immense popularity of Alessandro Michele’s creative direction has helped put vibrancy and extravagance back on the stylistic map for men.

Well, back to the drawing board! My friend Anesu, a fashionista said he remembers being embarrassed by his mother while young when she would pick him up from school in her long fur coat.

“My mom’s 80s fur would make me feel uncomfortable because it made her look like a gorilla,” he said.

In that case we also have some colleagues at work wearing the faux fur in bomber style.

Bomber styles are super modern and perfect for a night out or for keeping a black tie gown from feeling stuffy, or go with a longer mid-thigh length version for added warmth and weekend to work versatility.

Here are some ideas for how to wear a fur coat.

Style up your faux fur vest with an all-black outfit.

Don’t be afraid to pair your faux fur vest with black leather pants, it will look super edgy.

You can style up your faux fur coat, or even go for a wrap with a simple dress, this is useful if you are heading to a winter wedding.

Fur can also be worn with a casual outfit, such as jeans and a pair of funky sneakers.

A great way to style up your faux fur coat, is to pair it with a LBD (little black dress) and booties.

Layering is very doable with faux fur vests. Try layering a shirt with a V-neck sweater and top off your look with a faux fur vest.

Stay away from high collar pullovers when wearing a faux fur jacket or vest, as they give off a more shabby look.

With faux fur vests or coats, make sure to go for colours such as beige, black or even maroon.

They go with everything.