Dear Ms. Pamela Anderson, I know you are a staunch supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (posing naked for PETA ads is pretty staunch), but I am writing today to ask if you could see your way clear to granting me the A-okay to wear fur.
Normally I wouldn't ask anyone's permission about clothes, but a guy like me can't help but have a certain reverence for you (it's the Tommy Lee thing).
I do understand your viewpoint. But Pam, the furs used for garments are in abundance; the fur industry is government-regulated and we are not talking endangered species.
Ethics aside, I have to wonder if you've even been watching the runways. Because these days it's not a question of who shows fur on men, but who doesn't. There's Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, John Varvatos and Giorgio Armani.
But in case you're conjuring images of head-to-toe Halston circa Studio 54, let me assure you this is no longer the look. Fast-forward to 2005 and it's about decadent luxe for guys, without being showy or looking like a pimp.
This is sleek, understated, stealth fur. Chris Gamauf, men's wear buyer for Holt Renfrew, says there is a strong trend toward fur trims and linings as well as fur hats.
"Loro Plana offers a beaver-lined pure cashmere coat, which is the ultimate in cold-weather luxury," he says. "It's perfect for the customer who appreciates the warmth of fur, but doesn't want the world to know he's wearing one."
If blame is to be laid for the trend, put it on your fellow celebs P. Diddy and Sean Paul, who launched the fur look in their aspirational music videos. Apparently it's working: A Fur Council of Canada survey last year said men are now as interested as women in buying a fur coat for themselves, and that 10 per cent of men in Ontario already sport one.
The challenge, Pam, has been to make fur masculine and move it away from that cocoon-like silhouette of the past that made us giggle when we saw men bundled in it. And it's a challenge that has been handily met. Today's styling is rugged yet hip, with sport-influenced and aviator looks galore.
When Roberto Cavalli does his street-sexy style, the play of hard versus soft in his leather and fur jackets offers up nothing feminine. And men can wear fur anywhere, dressing it up or down. Plus, with the lighter-weight fur on the market, it's now a three-season fashion.
There's something furry for every guy. Canuck designers DSquared have easy-to-wear three-quarter-length tweed coats with rust-coloured fur lapels, while over at Miu Miu there's shearling coats with fur trim that beg to be worn over a perfectly tailored business suit. And Issey Miyake's puffy black ski jackets are lined with amber-coloured fur; what guy couldn't brave winter in that?
Punch up everyday gear with fur accessories, too, like Costume National's fur hat. And while Valentino's fur gym bag is a tad much, his fur vest, sheared like herringbone, is another matter altogether.
If a man has a sense of drama, fur presents serious scene-stealing options: Galliano's coats trimmed with a fox stole and matching cuffs, Alexander McQueen's wild mix of eye-popping patterned fabrics with fur hoods. Heck, Miyake has even done a lavender capelet for guys, but I won't push my luck.
My credit card is at the ready; I eagerly await your approval. And, Pam, so that you get something out of this too, know to count me in on your anti-Kentucky Fried Chicken crusade. I promise never again to eat a greasy morsel of it.
Especially not while wearing fur.
FUR DO'S AND DON'TS
Canadian designer Farley Chatto's fall F*@KER collection was replete with fur. He offers the following fur do's and don'ts:
No big shoulders. Don't look to the '70s and '80s for inspiration.
Slip on a car coat. Especially those with fur collars or fur linings.
Fur accessories. They're an easy way to get into the trend.
No matchy-matchy. Drop the fur mittens when you're in your fur coat.
No Flintstones. Forget full, let out furs à la Wilma's wooly mammoth.
Keep it classic. Opt for gray, navy, black, chocolate.
--Shaun Proulx