Creating a Cozy Stay-at-Home Winter Outfit with the Thrifty Six: Faux Fur

I have recently been welcomed into a wonderful group of fashion and lifestyle bloggers that focuses on styling preloved clothing and accessories in themed monthly posts (third Monday of the month). I hope that this showcase of secondhand items and outfits provides some shopping and style inspiration for anyone who is interested in creating great looks in a way that is sustainable for our planet and our pocketbooks.

Today's topic is Faux Fur...and it was a really challenging theme for me because I don't like to wear fur, faux or otherwise! I knew I didn't have a jacket or coat in full faux fur so I started going through all my outerwear looking for faux fur trim. Nope. I did a bit of searching online but I didn't see anything I wanted, so I was scrambling at the last minute to figure out how to proceed with the theme.

Luckily I had just posted about my favorite winter things, and in my photos I had found this image that included a pair of crazy warm slippers from Lands End that have a faux fur trim! They were not thrifted, but at least I had something with faux fur to wear. So I decided to create an outfit with some secondhand items around these slippers for a stay-at-home winter day.

Because the slippers are red, I selected my thrifted Target red jeans (current CPW: $0.18), and I repeated the brown color of the faux fur in a brown "modern twin set" that I've been wearing on repeat this season (both retail purchases from 2024/2025).

OOTD 1/15/26

I'll be the first to admit that the pairing of the red jeans and red slippers has some serious Christmas elf vibes! But it was a given that my slipper-centric outfit would be pretty high on the goofy/whimsical scale so it didn't bother me. Of course, this outfit could readily be made more "normal" or transformed into an out-and-about look by substituting a pair of boots, loafers, oxfords, sneakers, etc.

Since brown has only in the last year or two become a color that I wear very much, my scarf collection doesn't have a lot of scarves with significant amounts of brown. I mean, I do have a dozen of them, which would be a lot by some people's standards, but I am not spoiled for choice in any given brown-and-another-color combination. For brown and red, I have two options (both Goodwill purchases): the leopard print, which is my go-to that I wear often for outfits with brown or beige and red or pink (2016; current CPW: $0.18), and the jewel tone silky giraffe with a touch of red in it (2020; current CPW: $0.40).

I took a chance on the giraffe scarf, and by folding and tying it purposefully, I was able to expose some of the red leaves front and center where it could be seen. I added a gold-tone pendant necklace to add some shine and contrast and to help break up the expanse of brown (ThredUp 2019; current CPW: $0.05).

Since I have very little in the way of thrifted bracelets and earrings, I like to use handmade pieces for my Thrifty Six outfits (which, to be fair, isn't all that different from my other outfits). I still don't have a brown and red paper bead bracelet set (I KNOW! I'm working on it), nor do I have bracelets made for the giraffe scarf, but I thought the colors of this memory wire bracelet that I made to coordinate with a print skirt worked pretty well with my color palette.

I pulled out one of my earliest pairs of DIY earrings - vivid red glass pearls with gold spacers on pre-made hoops (see design #2 in this post) - and added a bold red lip to match. A coincidental detail of this look that I enjoyed: the way the braids in my hair are reminiscent of the brown-and-white giraffe print when the scarf is folded this way.

Now let's review the faux fur outfits that my thrifty friends have styled...

The Thrifty Six:

• Emma of Style Splash

• Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade

• Jodie of Jodie's Touch of Style

• Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style

• Sally of Within a World of My Own [me]

• Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge

Emma of Style Splash

"I love faux fur coats and have around ten (yes, I'm addicted!). But I can always be tempted by another one, like this burgundy jacket by Jayley that I found on Vinted. It has three quarter length sleeves, which I think looks good with a contrasting top underneath. I've teamed it with burgundy trousers and a gold blouse by Monsoon. I finished off the look with my well-used gold bag and trainers, and a flower ring from a charity shop."

Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade

“This is a vintage faux mink coat from the 1960’s or possibly even the 50’s; it’s made in the traditional furrier style with all the internal trims and ties. I had to check really carefully before I bought it in case it was real (it’s definitely not).

It’s just like the opulent blond minks that film stars wore back in the day– so glamorous!

There aren’t many occasions to wear a coat like this, it’s either far too ostentatious or the weather’s just not cold enough.

So, when Emma picked ‘Faux Fur’ as the T6 theme for January, I couldn’t wait to be a little minx in my faux mink!”

Jodie of Jodie's Touch of Style

"My crew is concentrating on faux fur accessories, and even my hubby joined in.

I found this belt thrifting and couldn't pass it up. I added a floral barrette to the front of it just to give it extra.

I'm also sporting a faux fur purse, which is peeking out behind my pants.

While the blazer isn't thrifted, I've had it for more than 12 years because I used to wear it while I was working."

Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style

“I hate the feeling of faux fur on my skin. The prickling, the irritation, the caressing. And the idea of ​​having to wear something pre-loved made of faux fur? No, sorry, not for me. And I really did try. Because a few years ago I bought a vest, of all things, pre-loved. But I don't even have a photo of it. I think it went straight in the trash. So what to do? And yes, these days, so much is possible with AI! Because I simply asked ChatGPT to complete my pre-loved outfit with a pre-loved faux fur coat. So I'm kind of skipping school, but then again, not! The trousers and blouse are pre-loved.”

Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge

"I bought this preloved plushy faux fur leopard coat about 7 years ago and I still wear it every winter. There is something perfectly timeless about a furry leopard coat, don't you think? I layered it over a newly thrifted burgundy floral print dress paired with an even newer thrifted scarf in coordinating colors. My necklaces and earrings were also purchased at second hand markets. My tall brown Doc Martens were purchased new but they are still thrifty considering I have been wearing them for nearly 30 years!"

And me...

"I am not a faux fur (let alone real fur) person, though I don't mind it at all on other people.  So this was a challenging prompt for me this month!  But I was able to dig out my one thing with faux fur: a pair of cozy red slippers with brown faux fur trim (bought new from Lands End).  Inspired by seeing a work-from-home pandemic era photo of myself in a normal pencil skirt with these slippers, I decided to style another staying-home-warm-and-cozy winter outfit with them, matching the red color with an old pair of thrifted jeans and the brown in a brown top + cardigan.  The giraffe print scarf and gold pendant necklace are also thrift purchases."

Next month's topic is Romance...which is a subject that could spawn a dozen outfits!

In the meantime, visit these lovely bloggers for the details of their thrifted faux fur outfits and more style inspiration:

• Emma of Style Splash

• Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade

• Jodie of Jodie's Touch of Style

• Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style

• Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge

Do you have any faux fur? Coats or otherwise? Would you wear a second-hand piece in faux fur? Would you prefer faux fur in a natural color or a rainbow color?

Blogs I link up with are listed here.