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What’s the next best thing to a duvet coat on a cold morning commute? Shearling accessories that doubles up as a cuddly emotional support cushion
Our collective tendency to swaddle ourselves in layers-upon-layers of fabric is as integral to the Irish winter as enjoying a pint while curled up beside the fire in our local pub. As a nation, we just adore being snug and cosy no matter what the recommended dress code (if you need proof, I’m pretty sure my mum told me she met my dad in a nightclub when she was wearing an Aran jumper.)
Any fashion staple that allows us to indulge this unshakeable desire to be warm and cocooned-up at all times — read: floor-sweeping puffer jackets and teddy coats, scarves bigger than aeroplane blankets, *that* knit hat with a faux fur bobble that practically every woman in the country owns — is likely the baseline of your own winter wardrobe already.
Allow me to present a new contender for your most-reached-for piece on a dark dreary morning: shearling accessories.
This season, everyone was obviously on the same wavelength in their need to be swathed and cajoled by hanging on to something fuzzy. At Chanel, it was more of a chic après ski aesthetic, with this season’s updates to the classic chain flap and top handle bags rendered in crumpled sheepskin and shearling.
At Fendi, the house’s iconic brown and black logo was executed in faux fur fabrics on handbags, while at Off-White, designer Virgil Abloh gave the streetwear-obsessed world a vibrant orange-dyed shearling bag.
Over at Chloé and Dries Van Noten, there were also iterations of Monster’s Inc-reminiscent accessories that could just begin to pop up on the streets outside the international shows next month.
Away from the luxury catwalks, emerging entry-level brands like Staud, Cult Gaia and Stand Studio also gave us more wallet-friendly cuddly numbers to contemplate.
We dare you to resist one of these chic-yet-comforting accessories.
Hopefully, they’ll help to cushion the blow that it is, in fact, still January for at least another week.
Mini Shirley Shearling Shoulder Bag, €365 from Brown Thomas
Fur Lined Serena Boot, €189 from DrMartens
Bella Shearling Fingerless Gloves, €145 from NetAPorter.com
Shearling Leather Tote, €76 from NetAPorter.com
Lola Shearling Bag, €169 from Stand Studio
Hunter Original Borg Bumbag, €62.90 from ASOS
Faux Shearling Mittens, €13.83 from ASOS
Flame Reversible Faux Fur Hobo Tote, €44 from Topshop
Shearling Oversize Tote, €321 from Farfetch.com
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