A dear friend gave me this coat last year before we moved from Pennsylvania to Idaho. I've found it a treasure this winter – it's the right length and fit, so nice and warm, and the lovely shade of gray wool goes with everything! 

I think it is comparatively modern, though it's one of those classic styles that pop up now and then through several different decades of fashion and I do wear it with my quasi-vintage outfits sometimes. But the best part of it is the lovely soft genuine fur collar, which someone (with a definite sense of style!) sewed on over top of the small lapel collar already on the coat.

The collar gives the coat an instant sense of glamour it otherwise wouldn't possess. I'm picky about my furs – no heads, no leopard or cheetah spots, and I don't really like the feel of mink. I don't like to be swallowed in furs, unlike the pictures you might see of the 1940s full length coats or a 1950s model swathed head to toe in fur, including her hat. To me, it's a "less is more" approach and I prefer it as accessories or trim. I might even choose a good quality vintage faux fur item over genuine fur because it is easier to care for and won't shed all over my clothes.

But a touch now and then of the real thing is just the right touch. It's indefinably glamorous and instantly makes the ordinary very special. That's the magic of fur!