Fur or animal?

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, I know I did skiing in Vermont, in the brisk -2 degree weather. I was sure to bring some of my favorite and most beloved fur pieces with me so I wouldn't, how do you say, "freeze my tushy off!" 

I love animals and so desperately wanted a kitten for Christmass, but I also have a inexplicable love for fur and wanted a fur piece for Christmass as well...although I did not receive a kitten, something that has been #1 on my Christmass list for the last 5 years, my mother did generously give me a fur wrapped neck scarf and wrote on the card "better luck next year, I did however, in one way or another give you an animal, it just might not be breathing"...

Ok, so, aside from my tangent, this season I have been seeing lots of animal patterns incorporated into outfits as well as fabrics. Fabrics are more exciting than ever, with their explosions of color and pattern, I absolutely cannot wait for spring 2014. Fur on the other hand has also set a major precedence for winter 2013, and is predicted to be one of the biggest trends for next season. There have been up to 20 fur pieces in the hottest designers latest collections like Marc Jacobs, Marni, J. Mendel, Louis Vutton, and Altuzarra. Fur has been experimented and played with to create new, exciting and innovative looks. In particular, I have noticed some designers creating pieces to look more like their natural state, or in other words (more like the animal it was taken from), which gives it almost a "rugged" but elegant appearance. Other designers have taken a different approach, dying their pieces and adding unique touches.  

sources: Elle.com, fashionista.com