Two weeks after buying this coat, having worn it with confidence up until then, a close friend called me out on it.
‘What’s with the fur?!’ she exclaimed.
‘It’s sheepskin’ seemed a very weak response and that night I genuinely dreamed of animal rights groups dousing me in red paint. The coat stayed in my wardrobe for a couple of days before I got cold (it is the warmest thing I own) and managed to convince myself that it is morally ok. It is second hand and sheep are killed for meat in the UK. Before owning this coat, sheepskin and fur were completely separate in my mind. Ugg boots certainly don’t cause that much controversy. I continue to wear the coat but I have felt a little uneasy since.