The Unraveling of Designer Ella * Shopping * Fashion * Blogging * Lifestyle

Since the cold of last winter in my cute beret hat, I’ve wanted earmuffs, but good earmuffs are hard to find. Burberry had ones to match my cashmere candy check scarf, but they were expensive … and had shearling lining.

Shearling is like fur from lambs - cute lambs. They’re farm-raised, but babies, and they’re not necessarily from free range farms (the only meat I’ll buy from the market, although I’m not too wealthy, is free-range all natural). Still, shearling is not the same brutal thing as fur. I can be anti-fur and okay with shearling, maybe, right? …

A trip into J. Crew browsing scarves led to me amazing earmuffs, grey to match my coat, or a tan plaid to “go” with Burberry, sophisticated … shearling lined.

I touched them. Nice. I put them on my head … and felt murder. Or really what I felt was the guilt of loving them sooo much. So soft! I put them down to ponder them for one day.

I ended up thinking about them nonstop for two weeks. Until I couldn’t wait to get them, no matter my morals. Until they nearly sold out and I snatched the last grey pair. Merchandise credit + $9 and they were mine. I wore them out of the mall (tags and all).

And my guy best friend approved okay but teased me, “go on, say f*** you to the sheep.”

But I love them, I can’t get enough of them, they’re the warmest earmuffs could possibly be - which practically is reason enough, right? And I rationalize that sheep are farm-raised, it’s not at all the same as fur. It’s just … lambs are so cute! I couldn’t eat something like that (or I hope I couldn’t), what am I doing?

My BFF also called me an eco-poser. I have been slowly declining in my environmentalism for years. I hated wood until I wanted to get a guitar (okay, I was a nutty little 12 year old), then leather until quality shoes and luxury bags (ooooooooh, leather so soft!). I’m a hypocrite when something I stood against suddenly and selfishly works for me.

Here I am again, unraveling in my identity over fashion.