Retire the Llama

When I was in college, I had what my friends and I called "the llama coat."
I bought it at one of those token hippie college stores where they sell staple college clothing imports such as those huge wool sweaters and hemp necklaces.

For about a year, I wore the llama coat with pride. It even smelled vaguely like a llama, or at least a goat or something. Over time, the llama pelt became matted and worn and I had to pitch it out. I don't think it was even dry clean-able, plus, who dry cleans stuff in college?

From this experience, I've been slightly turned off by anything - coats especially - made of faux fur. The main fashion disturbance created by faux fur is not it's initial fluffy or furry state, but rather in the upkeep. It looks good for the first four months, but like the llama, the pelt begins to mat and clump. And girls, this is not cute.

I saw a young woman with this kind of worn, clumpy white coat on the train this morning. And I thought: upon it's purchase it was probably a very fierce coat. But, unless you spend some serious $$$ on the high quality materials, the fierce faux fur has a rather short shelf life.