How to freshen up grandma's fur coat

It took indie sleaze to bring fur back into fashion, whether it be synthetic, eco-friendly, vintage, or simply pulled from grandma's wardrobe. Think of the old looks of the Olsen twins, Kate Moss, or Sienna Miller on the streets of New York and London, or the heroines of Tumblr like Sky Ferreira, Alexa Chung, or Chloë Sevigny. To make fur cool, it takes charm and inspiration: to find it, just delve into the depths of the internet. Fishnet stockings on thighs and ankle boots, subversive accessories on the head, and smeared eye makeup are just the first suggestions that these it-girls can give you; the rest, we summarise below.

Alexa Chung

The Shape of Things (2003)

Elsa Hosk

Britney Spears

Sienna Miller

Alexa Chung

Chloë Sevigny

Sky Ferreira

Sofia Coppola

Twee Style

Elsa Hosk

Sex and the City

Anna Wintour

Sienna Miller

Let's start with the choice of fur: length, volume, and color are factors that should not be underestimated. A mink coat that reaches down to the feet might make the outfit look aged, too similar to the traditional Sunday church look that grandma used to wear. If you happen to come across a fur designed for the cold of fifty years ago, don't despair, you can modernize it. Metallic silver gloves, a pochette or a Y2K baguette bag, baseball caps, patterned fishnet stockings or low-rise jeans can transform your grandma's fur into a costume straight out of a 2000s rom-com set. Don't be afraid to get creative with headwear, so dive without hesitation into your collection of sunglasses - or prescription glasses, now that they've become the new piercings - maximalist ones, beanies, woolen headphones, or earmuffs inspired by FRUiTs Magazine to add a bit of sporty style to the softness of the outerwear. If you're a fan of the Clean Girl aesthetic, a trend that dominated 2023 anticipating the arrival of quiet luxury and all the banality of old money fashion, you can take refuge in the comfort of your UGG boots, but perhaps only if the fur is short - to avoid the Big Foot aesthetic.

Helena Christensen

Prada

Rick Owens FW08

Rick Owens FW05

Anna Sui FW98

Anna Sui fw98

Celine Fw20

Alexa Chung

Cerruti FW97

Twee Style

Twee Style

Now that ribbons have become protagonists in women's fashion, it's possible to adorn a fur without resorting to fast fashion or online shopping: just open the sewing kit, also from grandma. By adding bows on the sleeves or a collar, you can follow fashion without spending money. Similarly, if you want to embrace the Twee aesthetic, a rising trend of the current year that rediscovers 1960s silhouettes, as the years when indie music was at its peak, you can simply dust off your old tights: here, they just need to be dyed in bright colors, patterns, or, if you want to push towards emulation, paired with a pair of Mary Janes. If you fancy a vintage look, you have every right to dive into the pages of J. Crew catalogs, which created cozy masterpieces with suede furs and aviator jackets, or delve into the 1990s runway shows of Yohji Yamamoto, Anna Sui, Alexander McQueen, Comme des Garçons, Undercover, Rick Owens, Vivienne Westwood, or Martin Margiela. The inspiration in all these looks is to combine the antique charm of Irving Penn's neutral palette with unexpected details, from a tear at the hem of the pants to the asymmetry of the buttons.

Yohji Yamamoto fw98

Fendi 1997

Suki Waterhouse

Twee Style

Twee Style

Florence Welch

Yohji Yamamoto fw00

Yohji Yamamoto fw00

Vivienne Westwood FW96

Vivienne Westwood FW93

Vivienne Westwood FW93

Whether it's tween or indie sleaze, Harajuku style or old money, what truly matters in your fur-outfit is your personality. The only cases where a vintage coat fails to make a good impression are those in which the wearer has tried to emulate someone else's look, so let your wardrobe guide you. Add colors, accessories, and match it with the looks that best suit your rules, whether it's a mini or maxi skirt. Exaggerating, to go against one of Coco Chanel's most famous quotes, is never a mistake, so before leaving home, add something and you're done.