Fashion-Forward Styles: Embrace a Fresh Look in the New Decade

There are simple ways to freshen up your look, whether it’s layering clothing or adding an accessory. Learn some tips from York Furrier’s Kathy Rezny.

York Furrier, in Elmhurst, offers reversible coats that accommodate both casual looks and fancy evening looks.

Whether it’s playing with color or adding a simple accessory, trying something fresh to bring in a new decade is one of the hottest fashion trends this season.

At York Furrier, a family-owned, fashion-forward outerwear and accessory specialist located in the Elmhurst City Centre, there are many ways to embrace an updated, fashionable look.

“Color is really important,” says owner Kathy Rezny. “There’s this dichotomy right now between these warm earth tones and these very luxe jewel tones. In particular, if I walk around our showroom, I’m seeing rich brown, sand and wonderful mossy green. Then I also see a beautiful merlot, classic navy blues and then vibrant emerald.”

For as long as the colder weather lasts, a relevant and fashionable trend is layering outerwear and clothing. Rezny suggests wearing a fur vest over a leather jacket or putting the vest inside a parka, for a fun look that also keeps you warm. Similarly, try layering silk or fur scarves over a leather or cashmere jacket.

Speaking of silk and fur scarves, accessories like these will spice up your look in any season.

“The fur tote bags are a favorite,” says Rezny. “You can wear them all year long, so you’re carrying just a touch of fur throughout the four seasons. We’re seeing a lot of ‘blinged-out’ belts over different pieces. So, you can wear a great belt over your sheared mink coat, or you can wear it separately over a top or just over your jeans.”

Rezny also finds embellishments working their way into many designs. In particular, beadwork, sequins and Swarovski crystals are a few choices you’ll find at York Furrier.

“One of my favorite designers in fur is Monique Lhuillier,” says Rezny. “She does a lot of really gorgeous pieces. We offer bridal rental, and Monique is one of my favorites for weddings. She has an absolutely exquisite piece that features hand beaded embellishments.”

Also fashionable this year is the bolero jacket. Rezny finds many women will match a bolero with leggings and furry boots. For a more bohemian style, they may pair it with a flowy skirt and a rugged boot.

For the more pragmatic fashionista, there are coats that provide two looks in one.

“One option is a sheared mink that reverses to a rain silk,” says Rezny. “So, you have a raincoat and a fur coat in one. If you want to just run errands and shop by day, put the raincoat side on. Then, if you have an event in the evening or a nice dinner downtown, you wear the fur coat side out.”

York Furrier’s custom designers have been making repairs and alterations to garments for decades, so they’re also well-poised to support another trend this season: repurposing existing fur garments. Rezny says she’s seeing young women, in particular, bringing in fur pieces they might have inherited from a family member or bought at a thrift store. These 20- or 30-year-old garments can then be refashioned into something more modern and fitting for a new generation.

“A lot of times I will take old, full-length coats with big, wide shoulders,” says Rezny, “and then have the York design team make them shorter, more like a walking coat length to the knee and give them a shaped silhouette, a new sleeve and a new collar. So, the granddaughter will wear it downtown commuting every day and enjoy it, whereas this might have been a special-occasion coat for grandma.”

Rezny invites fashion-forward women and men to explore the latest styles at York Furrier’s in-store showroom and online, at yorkfur.com.