Fur Hat

It’s ironic that as I write this post, the weather is in the mid-60’s in NYC – definitely not what I had planned when I scheduled a post about a fur hat. But, so many people have asked me about this hat, that I decided to devote a post to it. I love this hat because it’s warm and also adds a special touch to a winter coat and boots. I often find myself wearing it on winter European vacations because it feels very Old World. 

Note: I know this will be a controversial post because the hat is well, real fur. Also, no, I haven’t become a fashion blogger. There is a nutrition lesson here, so keep reading!

My grandmother used to be a hat model. She has always had impeccable taste in everything from clothes to home decor. I fondly remember visiting her home in Upstate New York as a kid. On some visits, we would dig through her trunks and closets and root through her jewelry box and I would marvel as she pulled out her fur stoles, Pendleton suits and coats and Monet costume pendants and brooches. No doubt my love and appreciation for fashion came from my grandmother and my mom. 

At the time, I was too young to inherit any of my grandmother’s treasures, but as I got older that changed. One of my favorite hand-me-downs from her is this vintage fur hat. I’ve linked to some similar faux fur hats here, here, here, here and here — all of which happen to be on sale to snatch up now for next season!

Now, here’s where it gets complicated. If you’ve read my book, you know I became a vegetarian at 13 – a choice borne out of compassion for all living things. Though I now eat seafood, compassion is still a very big part of who I am. So how do I reconcile the fur hat with that part of me who disagrees with wearing fur? 

For one, I like to think that everything isn’t as cut and dry as “this or that.” As a general rule, I don’t wear fur, but I do wear my grandmother’s fur hat, because it’s special to me and it’s a gift from someone I love.

Likewise, as I mentioned, I haven’t eaten meat since I was 13 years-old. Though compassion is important to me, fueling my body is properly is a priority. I’m always open to re-evaluating my dietary choices, but so far, I haven’t had a desire to change things until recently. While I still can’t stomach the idea of eating meat, I recently had an intuitive hit to start supplementing my diet with collagen -mostly adding it to my smoothies. 

At first, I kind of shoved that thought away, but it got stronger, so I listened. I discussed it with my health coach and we decided that it would be a good idea to give it a try. She also confirmed that I’m not the first vegetarian or pescatarian to want to supplement with collagen – who knew!

This is the collagen I use and I’ll write a separate post soon on the benefits of collagen and how to use it. 

In nutrition and life, you don’t have to be all one way or another or fit into any boxes, but your own. You just have to be you.