As the autumn weather is slowly turning towards the nippy and wet, my favourite time of year comes: heavy coat weather. This will be my third winter wearing my favourite coat. I bought my vintage muskrat coat at a thrift store on Main Street for $45 during Winter Term in my second year. I was motivated to start wearing fur coats because I was taking two evening classes and at the time, there was only one bus that served my college and it only came every half hour at night, ignoring us poor students left to face the Canadian winter. But now that I had a fur coat, I was warm and cosy without having to bundle up in the morning and overheat in the afternoon in preparation for the freezing trek home at night. I now look forward to winter when I can take out my coat and wear it for as long as possible and I swear that owning a fur coat in no way influence my decision to go to a university on top of a mountain (okay, maybe a bit).
Naturally I was curious to see what the reaction would be from strangers as to my wearing fur, but disappointingly the reactions all tend to be to same few questions/comments and in the following order of popularity:
1. Have you ever had been attacked by animal rights people? (No)
2. Are you from Vancouver? (Yes)
3. That coat looks great on you!
4. Can I touch it? (Certainly)
5. My grandmother had one of those.
6. Are you Russian? (a small part)
7. You must be really warm.
I have only received one negative comment in three years. I was waiting at the bus stop when a school girl on her way to Starbucks said "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?". No I'm not, because I'm not the one wearing $200 jeans made by children. If any people actually do react negatively to my wearing fur coats, my response to them would be to ask them how much oil went into making their coat and did they buy it second-hand.
During last year's month of snow I was able to continue wearing skirts everyday and not freeze to death like people who had proper winter gear were.
I see no reason why people should not wear vintage fur coats. It would support local charities or businesses and it saves them from being sent to landfills and they look fantastic with all vintage outfits.
Last year when I got one of those government cheques meant to encourage people to follow a greener lifestyle, I did my bit. I bought a shorter fur coat for $45 at a vintage store Downtown that was having a moving sale. I now have two fur coats for less than the cost of one new synthetic winter coat and by doing so I saved the environment all by myself and I'm able to wear a piece of history.
But what do you think about fur coats and would you ever wear one?
As for the acting and plot bits, it was pretty good too. Peter Sarsgaard's accent hardly ever slipped and he was sympathetic up to a point and a bounder throughout. Carey "Sally Sparrow" Mulligan did a fine job as Jenny and effortlessly built up the character into an actual person. But, I thought that her accent was a tad modern at times and someone kept trying to dress her as AH in Charade (which didn't fit the character).
I did have some problems with the plot (I know that it's based on a true story). I just couldn't believe that a 16 year old girl wouldn't have picked up on the caddish behaviour of David. Yes, he's charming, knows the best clubs and concerts, but he does pick up school girls at bus stops, steal paintings off walls and has a trunk full of typewriters and booze and still Jenny doesn't think that he has something to hide. But other than that aspect, the story has a natural rhythm.
If you get the chance do go see it, it's really quite a lovely film.
