Fur Dreams

1 - Camel Hooded Cape - $75 / 2 - DVF Snap Gloves - $345 / 3 - Cream Faux Fur iPhone Case - ~$10 / 4 - Gold Stone and Pearl Earrings - $12 / 5 - Fur Infinity Scarf (similar) - $89.99 / 6 - Graduated Pearl Necklace - $325 / 7 - Black Fur Turn-Down Boot - ~$40

Last Friday, Ben took me to see Anna Karenina at our local movie theater, The Grand Cinema, down the street. They show critically acclaimed and independent movies, have the best popcorn around (trust me, you want the butter on it), and evening movie tickets are only $7. I read Anna Karenina when I was much younger, skipping over the 20 page long treatises about Russian peasants and skipping to the doomed love affair. The movie didn't disappoint - it skipped over the treatises too! But treatises aside, it was fabulous. The entire movie was staged as if it was a play, with backdrops and scene changes and choreographed motion. In addition, you get to see beautiful Kiera Knightley wrapped up in insanely pretty ball gowns, pearls, and hats with mysterious veils. I'd highly recommend it!

Anna Karenina got me thinking not only about Banana Republic's pretty, Karenina-inspired furry Fall line, but of fur itself as part of my wardrobe. I've always shied away from fur, as it often looks over-the-top or cheap. When sold by Costco as a reversible vest, it's certainly not a look you want to go for (as I unfortunately learned during my first real winter during college). On top of that, real fur is expensive and tugs at my heartstrings as cruel and faux fur just looks... faux. I think both time and style have come around to fix some of those issues. Namely, faux fur looks awesome and stylish ladies all over the web are wearing fur in gorgeous, not over-the-top or cheap ways. This blog post might have just fully convinced me about fur.

So here is my inspiration board of faux and not-so-faux, cheap and not-so-cheap, beautiful winter looks. It's half Anna Karenina in all her pearls, and half, what a modern woman could actually pull off. At least I hope. Guess I should have added these items to my Christmas list!