Krish, I laughed I cried and I think you should publish that brilliant piece of writing!!!!

You are right that I may face censure for the fur. But it is second hand and that makes it a bit less problematic. The deed was done long before I came on the scene. My vegan stepdaughter will not be happy with me. But she is equally against wool. And it is so much fun with those cuffs.

What a fun coat! I love great finds at consignment shops!

great find!

YOU ARE SOOO ADORABLE I COULD EAT YOU UP.

KILLER

KEEP (it’s faux fur, right?)

GORGEOUSLY SUBLIME with your hair! Wow!

Your West Coast wild card

What a fun coat! Great buy and on the west coast, it should get plenty of use. Love your idea of wearing it with red gloves (and if you find a good place to buy them, let us all know)

Very glamorous!

What a fun fab coat!

Well you know I love this story and I love that coat. You look smashing in it in every single picture. I am guessing the fur is fake and the label is real. Not the quality of old Max Mara made in Italy but probably a legitimate label or at least liscensee. You are probably in a very good second hand city, just sayin'

Do you think, Shevia? It's so not Max Mara quality or even style. I think they make a lot of fakes in China. Or did, about 10 years ago? I never for a second thought it was the real thing. I once owned a MaxMara weekend linen jacket and I will never forget the quality. It was a huge splurge for me in the 80s when I bought it and I still miss it!

Anyway. Back to this one. Angie, you will be sorry to hear that the fur is real.

I recognize that makes it ethically problematic, but even my vegan stepdaughter makes exceptions for people wearing second-hand goods.

I have real fur on my Nobis parka hood, too. People living in Quebec, Ontario, the Canadian prairies, and the true north know this: in deep cold, nothing keeps a face warmer than real fur. It is unique in its properties and there is no substitute. I walk for hours in -30 temps. It makes a huge difference to my comfort. But on the parka I know that the fur is ethically sourced and no creature was killed to make that coat. In this case, I do not know that. Guilty as charged.

Anyway, those cuffs are completely removable. Though my stepdaughter would object just as strongly to the leather gloves I might purchase to close the gap!

ETA, Krish alludes to something key here. Attitudes in Quebec have long been different from those in the rest of the country...fur remained accepted there for a long time (maybe always) and there is a very good reason for it. Actually, a couple of reasons. (Economy and the weather). In Ontario it was very much "out" for a while but has returned to favour as fur has become ethically sourced. I don't know what the situation is on the west coast.

This is one amazing coat! I love it on you. I'm so glad you found it.

Perfectly lovely!

So gorgeous! It looks amazing.

(But I’d be wary of the fur.)

You look fab! You make me think of Snegurochka (the Russian version of Snowhite). I approve the purchase wholeheartedly.

That said I am shocked to see how the Max Mara label looks exactly like the real one ... but the coat is so evidently not Max Mara. It's incredible what they can do.

Suz - nothing beats extraordinary outerwear. Awesome piece. Enjoy it!! Looks marvelous on. On the fur...it’s second hand. You are making the poor animals sacrifice valid. I am vegan diet wise. I avoid what can. I do own leather shoes, gloves and bags. I just bought a new puffer. For the life of me I could not find s nice one without fur on the hood. It’s a Pendleton Jackson. I took the fur off and feel very bad. But I tried on a lot of coats over the last 2 yr and it fits and ticks all the boxes. So I’ve made peace with living as respectfully as I can. Continuing to make that a priority but enjoying what I do decide to buy. No one lives perfectly.....

Of course it called out to you--it is perfect for you! Looking forward to seeing it with your red boots.

Wow I love it! It looks amazing on you and I bet will look great with your wardrobe.

Gorgeous as a piece and spectacular on you! I bet you will find it wonderful to wear a coat that is simply beautiful without having to be super warm as coats have to do in Ontario.

This coat is amazing on you!

I appreciate the thoughtful and cerebral response and about the real fur, Suz. It makes sense. I don’t want leather in my life - but shoes are hard and bags are my best. The rest, I try hard to live without. We do what we can, and what our conscience will bear. FWIW, I bear no negative judgement.

Beautiful!

I was curious enough about the label and style to do some googling , and although the label itself looks "real", and MM does manufacture in China now, the style is incongruous with the house. Weird eh? I still want it And I hear you about fur. I have a SAM parka with real fur on the hood, and it still bothers me today that I bought it. I even wrote to the manufacturer first to determine the source of the fur and got some half-assed response in return, but it was enough to at least assuage my guilt. It feels alternately luxurious and irresponsible, but holy heck is it warm.

Oh, krishnidoux, I love your story and the way you've told it! Definitely save that one; it's good enough to publish.

The coat is super fun, and it reminds me of this Reformation coat that I keep browsing. Love the big furry cuffs. So, I'm going to say you're very on-trend! Fun for the holiday capsule and looks SO GOOD with the silver skirt.

OK, "Max Mara" or not, that's just too fun and you needed that in your wardrobe! So perfect on you!

I think it's gorgeous on you and perfect for a west coast winter. I would honestly just wear it with jeans, but I am of the opinion that everything goes with jeans.

FWIW, I'm not a fan of real fur but I feel that buying it secondhand is acceptable. I wouldn't personally wear it, but I don't wear faux fur either so...

Stunning! #1-2 are just...stunning.

As for the fur, that animal was taken a long time ago. If this coat got put in the trash now, the sacrifice of that living being is even more of a shame. No judgement! Yay for recycling.

It's a great coat and I look forward to seeing more of how you style it. I always assume most fur is faux nowadays, especially small bits on cuffs or hoods. Obviously, that's not always the case, but faux fur is so much more common than it used to be.

Thanks, all, for your thoughtful replies re the fur. I am of two minds myself about it. I feel fine about the parka. The company takes steps to ensure that the materials are all ethically sourced and in addition, their waterproofing is a special type that causes less harm to the environment. I wear it in an environment where it fills a genuine function. As for this piece, I do think second-hand makes a difference. It's a re-use.

My step-daughter is adamant on this: no wool, no leather, no fur, no down, etc. etc. But guess what? She is so perpetually cold, she had to move to a sunny country just to continue to exist! (Not a joke!!)

LaPed, I love that coat! Very retro/ ladylike and fun!

Lisa, I knew right away this was not a real Max Mara but what the heck -- the fabric was quite distinctive and the style...I'd be curious to know more of the history of this piece but googling did not bring up similar coats.

Max Mara or Zax Zara (ha! I loved your invention), it is a great coat on you, Suz. Crazy like a fox!

Oh, and I predict you are going to have a blast choosing coats that don't need to keep you warm to -30C!

Max Mara meets Dr. Zhivago!
You come across the most amazing things!