fur real: pia & her wonderfully vintage chocolate brown jacket, on portobello road

You know how sometimes you save a special project for a rainy day? Well, I do. Sometimes I postpone doing the things I like most. That's what happened with Pia, who I met on Portobello Road a few weeks ago. I just love her look: so gamine, so Audrey Hepburn, and such a delight to shoot! When she emailed, and admitted that I hadn't posted her shots only because I couldn't decide.



So I'm posting them all. What happened was, I had met a friend there for a coffee, then was roaming around the stalls, looking for a fake leopard coat like I posted the other day, and instead, came across that wonderful fake chocolate brown one I've been telling you about. Which I WILL shoot, I promise, soon as I become normal again (I'm typing this from my bed with 'the vapours', as Mr. Dot calls it, surrounded by tissues, cold cups of tea, and paracetemol packets).

Anyway, minutes after my new (old) purchase, with chocolate brown fur on the brain, I saw Pia with two guys (not in the shots). I said I loved her coat and asked to shoot her and she said 'that's funny cause he' (the bf, I assume) 'wants me to bin it!'



So I asked her to pose like this, to show you the holes more clearly. If this blog wasn't called 'street style london', I'd post simply this shot on its own: as abstract art.



It's funny, I was saying recently that what I want to wear now is fur, but not new fur: either good faux (preferably, like my chocolate brown faux jacket, vintage), or if it's real: vintage. Because it's guilt free ('I didn't kill it, it was already dead'). And sure enough: yesterday's Times Style Section: they talked about the very same thing.

But before anyone gets their knickers in a twist: I'm not claiming to have coined the concept. I just love coincidence, it's hard to explain. Yet can someone explain to me please: why is it there's all this controversy about fur, when we don't even blink about leather? Is it because we somehow don't think of leather as a skin, but fur seems so much more... cuddly bunny? Is it like the thing where you can't eat a whole fish with the eye showing, but fish fingers, no problem?



Just pondering... as I lie in bed with the Miss Haversham vapours. And oh: one of my favourite colour/texture combinations: brown fur or velvet, with something shiny & turquoise. I'd love these ethnic bangles with just about anything.

Re: sourcing. This is in Pia's own words, which I felt were so charming, I've added them verbatim:

"hey! thanks for the photos its really funny seeing them.. i felt realy nervouse at the time... haha! ok so the boots were a real bargain and still being sold at 15 squid from primark! brilliant find! the coat (i still have ;) despite my boyfriend hating it... you are now my reason i keep it haha!) is from portobello market infact. £50 and rabbit fur.. they still have really lovely ones there i noticed the day you took the picture. oh and yes it was my boyfriend he is called matt oldham and you can mention if you like. i dont mind. and the bag was £15 from absolute vintage near brick lane. and the leggings were from american apparel. once again thankyou. its been really exciting all this... simple pleasures. hope you're well! xx "