Chez Kay
Andrew Kay faces up to a sartorial and ethical dilemma – with style
You might think that as I get older, my appearance might have become more moderate, perhaps more staid and, should I suggest this, more mature. Well the latter would only be quantifiable if maturity was easily measured. If you calculate maturity on a scale of being sensible then I am somewhat immature. If however you choose the cheese scale as I do, basing it on richness, strength and occasionally being a little blue, then I am very mature indeed.
I recently attended the opening party for Holiday on Ice, one of my favourite events of the year and one for which I always dress up. I wore grey-ish tartan trousers, red boots, a cream frilled shirt and my grey, red and pink overcoat. My hair of course is kept in fine form by the lovely Louise at Trevor Sorbie and was a mass of silver curls. I thought I looked pretty good as I breezed into The Grand for a pre-party pint. That was until my mate Mr L joined me.
‘‘As far as I can recollect, were man’s first clothes not fig leaves followed closely by furs?’’
A few weeks prior he had emailed me asking what my views were on fur. Well to be honest, I don’t really approve of farming fur, but as a meat eater I guess that can be seen as somewhat hypocritical, as is wearing leather shoes or jackets I suppose. I told him so. Not for me to judge I reckoned, and as far as I can recollect, were man’s first clothes not fig leaves followed closely by furs?
Anyway, a few weeks on and there I am in The Grand with my drink (no nuts I would like to point out and why not at £4 a pint?), when in walks Mr L in a full length racoon coat. Talk about one-up-manship. It raised a few eyebrows too and lowered a few jaws.
“What do you think?” he asked. Well I have to be honest – it looked great. Fur does, and is very beautiful. It is, of course, most beautiful when still on the animal – there’s little denying that moral argument.
“What do I say to people who disapprove?” he asked. I pondered and suggested that for the sake of safety he lied. “Tell them it’s a fake, they look so real anyway.” It was a useless idea as it so clearly looks real.
I later came up with another thought. The coat is second hand, clearly, in good nick but from a time gone by – vintage should we say?
“Why not say it’s a rescue fur. After all it would heighten the injustice for animals to die and not for any purpose.” It’s a lame argument I know, and a cynical view. Were I a vegetarian I would feel more free to comment, but I am not. It’s a difficult question and one, in the end, that I have no answer for.
I now await the arrival of a fabulous new suit from Oliver Woo – yellow and blue check with a velvet collar. I can’t wait, after all I can’t afford to have Mr L upstage me in that way too often.
