The shaggy vest (or fur vest) in both real and faux fur was very fringe last year. Although the item is by no means mainstream, its gaining popularity both in stores and on the street. I guess we’re building up to a very 70’s inspired Spring and Summer 2011.

Shaggy or fur vests have a delightfully dramatic retro appeal. Fabulous and fun. Wear them casually over a simple layering top with jeans and boots. Wear them over a soft blouse and skirt combination with hose and pumps. Or my favourite combination, over a sleek dress with hose and feminine footwear.

Wearing a fur vest with or without a colour contrasting  layer underneath makes a huge difference to my eye. Sometimes I like a high contrast between the layers and sometimes I prefer a low or no contrast at all.

Fabric technology has come a long way and these days faux fur really can look like real fur. But I’m still fussy about the quality of the faux fur so I vote yay if it doesn’t look like a pets blanket or human hair. I’d wear an extremely cropped fur vest that has mega vintage integrity. I’ve ordered the black Kenzie style below and plan to wear it with a low contrasting black dress and cream go go boots. I’ll let you know if my experiment works.

How do you vote? Would you wear a shaggy vest? If not, can you appreciate the look on others?