Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Tippet, Tippet Good



Am so very taken with Lanvin's Fall 2009 take on an age-old accessory, the tippet. Traditionally a fur pelt, worn around the shoulders, it is an incredibly effective face-and-shoulder framing device, here used to striking effect.

Interesting, I think, that this garment has a long history in a more spiritual realm, as ecclesiastical wear, notably among the archbishops of Canterbury: here is Thomas Cranmer . . .

No matter where you come down on the ethical aspects of wearing fur, this look is so easy to replicate. With an actual or imitation black, glossy pelt (easy to find at vintage or secondhand), sling it low along the shoulders and attach a clasp (hook and eye, or pin ends together with a sturdy but subdued pin or brooch).

The key is to keep it monochrome, in Lanvin's case the silhouette is all . . . happy wrapping!

(Photo: Marcio Madeira)

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