FASHION WITH TESSA - FUR SCARVES

Fur scarves are all the rage this winter. Everyone from Pippa Middleton to Helen Mirren have been spotted sporting them. Not only are they chic, adding stylish glam to an ordinary coat, they also keep you nice and toasty. But have you seen the prices? An Alexander McQueen shearling will run you just under a thousand dollars. And that’s cheap. A search of the Internet turned up a Lanvin rabbit fur for over two thousand dollars and a badger fur (badger?!?) for over four grand! Even a faux fur scarf can hit three digits.

There are some bargains out there. Forever 21 has a faux fur scarf for $15, and I found a Calvin Klein on sale for $55. But if you really, really want something more elegant and less faux, try your grandmother’s attic. You never know what you’ll discovered stashed away in the mothballs. And although I’m not a fan of killing animals for fashion, if the fur’s been sitting around for decades, why not wear it?

A few weeks ago a girlfriend was cleaning out her recently deceased mother’s apartment. Among the things her mother had stashed away in a drawer was a mink collar she’d saved from an old coat. With a scrap of lining fabric and a large, satin-wrapped hook and eye closure, I created a gorgeous mink scarf in under an hour.

Grandma doesn’t have an attic of old clothes? Try your local Goodwill or second-hand clothing store. Bargains abound if you have the patience to rummage through the racks.