Monday, January 18, 2016

How to Wear a Thick, Shaggy, Fur Vest

In my previous post "How to Wear a Fur Vest" I mentioned that I struggled finding a fur vest that didn't add extra weight to my frame or made me feel like I was wearing a gorilla suit.   I ended up purchasing a thinner fur vest with a knit back, that was more slimming than the typical thick, shaggy furs.  I was very happy with that fur vest, and still am.   And then, over the holidays, I found this thick, shaggy fur vest at J.C. Penney for only $12.59.  Although I continue to feel these thicker fur vests add unwanted pounds, at that price, I didn't care, so I bought it!

So that brings me to the topic, HOW DO YOU WEAR THESE THICK, SHAGGY, FUR VESTS?

I don't care how tiny or tall you are, if you put on a thick, shaggy fur vest you will look bigger.   You just have to accept that with this style of clothing.  The trick to wearing these vests is balance.  Keep the clothing under the vest thin or minimal and keep the clothing below the vest tighter or more form fitting.  


"So if these vests are going to make me look heavier why do I want to wear one?"  you might ask.  Well other than the fact that they are very on-trend right now and oh, so stylish, elegant, and luxurious, they are also very warm!  The first time I wore my vest was when I was shopping at the Mall of America and I didn't want to carry a winter coat inside the mall so I wore just my vest instead.  I was able to walk from my car to the mall in freezing weather with only my bare arms cold;  my body core stayed warm.  Unfortunately, the vest was so warm that I was sweltering when I was inside the mall.  Below is a picture I shared on Instagram and also in a previous holiday post.


The next time I wore this vest was to church last Sunday.  It was so bitter cold, I don't think it got above zero all day, and even with bare arms, I felt toasty warm.

My favorite feature of this vest, other than it's warmth, is the pockets!


 This is a medium length vest.  It falls just slightly beneath the hip line.


A tunic dress is the perfect item to layer with a thick, fur vest.  I found this one at Forever 21 about two months ago.  It is a thin, knit fabric, so it is very slimming.  I added cable knit leggings underneath the dress.  Other options if you didn't want to wear a dress and leggings would be form fitting pants like skinny jeans or Old Navy's cropped pixie pants.  A slim fitting pencil skirt would also work, although I even wore it with a skater skirt (see that post HERE), because it was short and the thinnest part of my body (my legs) balanced out the heaviness of the vest.



Basically, the simple rule to wearing a thick shaggy fur vest is to balance with something slim and form fitting on the lower half of your body.


These cable knit tights are so super warm!  I bought them last year at Sears.


The first time I wore this outfit, I wore tall flat boots because I knew I would be walking all day.  This time, I wore boots with heels since I was only going to church.  I think the outfit looks better with heels because it  elongates the body and makes you look taller and slimmer.


  My jewelry was a beaded triangle necklace from Stitch Fix and a black and gold bracelet I picked up on my last vacation to Florida.


  The vest is fully lined.


 And here is what the dress looks like without the fur.  It is short sleeve which is great, because I will be able to wear it in the spring or fall without tights.  I don't think it would work for summer because of the mock turtleneck.


I purchased this dress in a size large because it's Junior sizes and I also wanted a looser fit.  I do not like to wear clingy clothes.


Here is another Instagram picture I shared of me wearing this dress over the holidays.  I've gotten a lot of use out of it thus far!


So have I talked you into trying a thick, shaggy fur vest yet?  A lot of women still seem to be on the fence about them.  When I wore mine to church last week, a couple of women said they really liked mine but one of those women said she felt she too old and big to wear one.  I don't think age has anything to do with it, but if someone is already self-conscious about their weight they might want to pass on this style.  Another lady I could tell didn't like my vest at all and said she remembered when they use to wear them in the seventies.  I was a little kid in the seventies, so I really don't remember seeing anyone wearing fur vests, but I do remember go-go boots, bell bottoms, and ponchos!  They are definitely not for everyone as they are quite trendy, but if your looking for warmth during these bitter cold winter months, they are wonderful.

Here are some more ways to wear thick, shaggy fur vests from Pinterest!

Balance the heaviness of the top by wearing your vest with leggings!

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Wear your fur vest over skinny jeans!  
Sheri is a plus size fashion blogger, and she looks amazing in her fur vest!

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Wear a fur vest with slim fitting pants 

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And if skinny jeans aren't your thing, here is an example of how to wear your fur vest with flares!
This look works, because the jeans are form fitting through out most of the lower body.  They don't flare until they are past the knee, and if anything, the flare of the jean leg balances with the thickness of the fur.

Photo Credit
Wear your fur vest with a short dress!

This look is similar to mine except I have tights and boots on because it's too cold to go bare-legged.



And for those women who think they might be too old to wear a fur vest, well here are some over fifty women who look amazing in their fur!

Photo Credit
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  I think anyone can wear a fur vest, no matter what their age or size.  Balance your look out, by wearing something form fitting on the bottom....and you will look great!

Have a great day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!


13 comments:

  1. Such a cute vest Amy!! Looks so good with the blue and cable knit tights! You look adorable!!

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  2. That dress is so pretty! Love it with the vest.
    www.amemoryofus.com

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  3. You look so good in the cobalt blue colour! I love shaggy vests too!

    http://www.hellonancy.co.uk/

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  4. I really do like how you wore a tighter dress under this fur vest, it really doesn't seem to add much bulk at all and it is such a stylish look!! I really need to get my fur vest out of the closet, I've worn it once!!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

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  5. Love the dress, the color is so pretty and looks great styled with the fur vest.

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  6. Love your tips for styling a fur vest! And that dress is the perfect color on you!

    Tif
    www.brightonabudget.com

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  7. That vest really amps up this look! Such a chic winter look

    Shauna

    www.lipglossandlace.net

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  8. I love your vest!! The black and blue look so beautiful together!

    xx, Elise
    www.sparkleandslippers.blogspot.com

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  9. You look amazing. this is one of my Favourite colour combo's, cobalt blue and black. They work so so well together!The faur fur is so fab on you xxx

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  10. With that price, you can't turn down a vest like that! I love wearing mine around, but every time I wear it to school, I end up burning up! I think the bulk looks fine if it's balanced like yours is! I'm also in loveeee with that necklace. It's gorgeous!! Necklaces like that with real stones are always my favorite.:)

    Emily

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  11. Such great tips and such a great fur vest too. I love it with that blue dress. You look so chic for a day at the mall. I love that necklace, Amy. This was such a helpful post- I will refer to it for any ideas on how to style my own JC Penney Black Fur Vest. =)

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  12. I love a great faux fur vest. I especially love how you paired it with this cobalt blue! Thanks for linking up with me today and I'll be pinning this to the link up board. Hope to see you back next week!

    www.jerseygirltexanheart.com

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  13. I totally agree with your style tips - all about balance when it comes to these fuzzy vests!

    www.michellespaige.com

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