The Fur Coat and the Cohesive Outfit

By Elleree Erdos

I noticed this woman browsing just down the street from the NYU campus, on rue de Passy. The fur coat is an explicit display of power; not only does the opulence of material itself put the wearer's financial status (or her choice of monetary allocation), it also puts forth an image of the power of mankind's dominance over other species. Furthermore, the fur coat allows a woman to wear her political beliefs (or lack thereof) on her sleeve--literally. Just as the woman in Jessica's photograph makes a humanitarian statement with her choice of imitation fur, this woman makes a different kind of statement, at once monetary, personal, and political. I've observed a lot of women of all ages in fur coats and capelets, but this woman in particular struck me with the cohesiveness of her ensemble. She wore a pair of sleek brown leather boots, as well, which I wasn't able to capture in the spur-of-the-moment photo. The opulence of her accessories (even the shopping bag) and the combination of garments strengthened her inherent statement. A single item can be made to give an enormous variety of impressions--an idea that screamed out at me when I saw a prostitute in fishnets and high-heeled black boots wearing a similar fur coat off the shoulder as I ran through the Bois de Boulogne on Friday...