With the changing of seasons comes the changing of wardrobes and this transition is making me think about my greatest winter purchase this year. Personally, this winter has been about oversized knits and slim-line turtle-necks, but primarily about fur. My most prized possession for these cold months has been a luxuriously soft, two-tone rabbit fur gilet that my partner gave me during a skiing holiday over the New Year. It is such a versatile yet striking piece that I throw over long-sleeved tops and jeans, simple black dresses and even on top of leather jackets in the evenings to add another layer of warmth and style.

It's not just me who's raving about fur this season. Whilst women's bodies are expected to be fur-free from the eyebrows down, our wardrobes are not. Fashion Week this year has been a fur-frenzy, both on and off the catwalk, with some designers - such as Jeremy Scott and Christopher Kane - using fur as the centre of their collections. There are two bright (and furry) stars this winter - worn by bloggers, celebrities and fashionistas alike - from Gucci's candy-pink fox fur jacket and Saint Laurent's crimson red faux fur heart cape, both causing cases of serious Instagram drooling. Fendi started off as a brand that only did fur, gradually moving towards ready-to-wear but always keeping its own fur atelier using the slogan 'Fendi is fur'. The brand creates intricate pieces of beautifully crafted brightly colored fur garments.

 It would be insensitive of me to write this without mentioning the ethical and moral questions surrounding the fur industry. I have to say myself that I selfishly close an eye to the source of the fur itself in the blind hope that brands do source ethically farmed material. As creative director of Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld was recently confronted by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) which he defended, claiming "[the industry] has improved a lot."

I would say that fur is the Marmite equivalent of clothing choices: people either love it or hate it. There is always the option of fur's morally acceptable cousin faux-fur, and anti-fur activists question why there is a need for the real deal when there are alternatives. Another school of thought is that fur is only acceptable if it is vintage - because the deed has been done, right? A friend of mine recently mentioned that she found a furrier in Italy who refashions your mother's heavy mink coat into something - or a few somethings - you would actually want to wear and this seems a great option if you want to stay in semi-neutral territory. 

Whatever your position on real versus faux fur, it cannot be denied that fur or faux fur is not going away any time soon, being a major trend in all the main fashion houses and trickling down to high street shops. Statement pieces of bright pop and pastel colours mean that your fur can be worn right through winter and into spring by just reducing your layers as the weather gradually gets warmer.