J.Crew’s Frivolous Yet Practical Accessory: The Mongolian Lamb Stole

A nor’easter has been blowing through the East Coast, bringing with it the first hint of crisp fall air. This immediately made me want to run for my suede boots and something tweed.

Instead, I put on my flip-flops and took a stroll through a few shops to see what has been trickling out for fall. I, like everyone else, am a big fan of all the fur vests and shearling pieces shown for AW 2010, and have been anxious to see how it looks on a real body.

My first try was a big fail. The Barneys outlet in Riverhead, NY had a black faux fur vest (Barneys house brand) that tragically looked like a gorilla costume. I put it on and was certain that the minute I got near a candle I would burst into flames. It looked matted and awful, and the fluffy silhouette on a girl with hips was not so flattering.

Moving on to–where else?–J.Crew, I spotted an absolutely luscious cream Mongolian curly lamb wool vest that I wish came in a blanket. I slipped it on and it was gorgeous, but I’m not used to so much volume. Plus, the shocking $800 price tag sealed the deal for me. It’s sold out on J.Crew’s site, though, so apparently it was a steal for a lot of people.

After wandering through the store a bit more, I noticed a woman trying on a scarf/collar hybrid made of the same long-haired mongolian wool. I found one in a smoky charcoal that is going to look amazing around the collar of my new olive wool jacket. The best part? Only $98! It’s cozy, versatile, and the curly wool looks a bit more blinged out than standard shearling. It’s going to be my go-to for fall and winter I suspect: it’s stylish AND warm.

A woman ran up to me and asked where I had found it. I pointed her to what turned out to be the last one in the store. A small cat fight commenced between her and another shopper who claimed she came in just to find this item. I clutched mine protectively and ran up to the counter.

So, while I’ll gamely continue looking for a fur vest that fits (or give up if it just doesn’t work on me), I’m pretty sure my fluffy quota for fall has been met.