Winter warmers


Friday morning, trend-hunting in Portobello. Overriding the vintage haberdashery and leg-of-mutton Victoriana is fur, fur and more fur. Coats, capes, hats, tippets – you name it, there it is in all its mink, fox or rabbit glory.

“Why so much fur?” I wondered aloud. “It’s probably just, like, popular?” offered one stall-holder – approximate age, 13 – after a moment’s thought. No kidding. “It’s the cold,” suggested another, heavily swaddled in coats, scarves and gloves. “It’s the Russians,” observed a third, “you get a lot of Russian girls and they’re into the vintage furs.” Who knows the truth but we’re definitely in for a fur-wrapped winter.

[Pic: Grey Gardens]