The big question when it's this cold is" which length fur coat? It is tempting to think about buying one of each but for some of us with limits on our budget, it just isn't possible. But if you're expecting furs.com to make the choice easier for you...sorry! Still, here's a selection of styles that we believe are your best options in both short and long fur coats. Happy Holiday shopping!

Cavalli is offering a no-holes barred approach to both short and long fur coats this season. His 1980's looking coats mix leather and puffy sleeves are consistent with his blatant, gloriously glamorous and downright flashy clothes. His eclectic collection for winter includes everything from feather-shouldered white satin, fishtail fuchsia and powder-puff pink maribou that evokes the glamour of silver screen Hollywood sirens such as Marilyn Monroe or Joan Crawford. For short jackets, consider the furry vests and jackets for day - one in particular that I liked is the emerald-green belted and studded suede jacket . Evening? Go for long: a gold Russian quilted coat edged in fur. You can't be shy to wear Cavalli no matter what length! And if you absolutely MUST have the 80's style fur-fringed with leather and puffy sleeves - the good news: you can buy it in both mini and maxi.

Pucci is a master of recreating a modern retro-sixties look. Here, you'll be tempted to pair black suede go-go boots, printed leggings and colorful prints with mini-coats. But designer Christian Lacroix's long caramel-y colored coat is a more perfect accent to this psychedelic style of Pucci.

Thomas Maier for Bottega Veneta will change your mindset about having to wear a long coat over a suit. His very wearable belted shearlings that skimmed the knee look fabulous over suits. His flare skirt gray tweed coats look just right with velvet boots to the knee. But the best was the short luscious striped fur coat. Definitely this coat tops, our SHORT list.

If the direction you want to take your fur coat this winter is 'Back to sixties retro", You must buy the white , mod, above the knee Dolce & Gabbana coat. You'll be torn between the leather high-belted maxi coat with an aviator feel. Decisions, decisions.

Our favorites of Fendi's collection is the short white wraparound coat - I LOVE the fur collar on this coat! Also the striped fur wrap arounds that drop in pelts off the shoulder is pretty great too. But the signature coat of this collection and one of designer Karl Lagerfelds genius creations was taking the casual down coat to new levels of decadance.

Instead of hiding fur on the inside of casual coats, Lagerfeld has smoothed pelts on the outside of extravagantly oversize down puffers. You will have no need to come in from the cold if you decide on a LONG coat. Here the choice is function over falling over the shoulder - aesthetics. Either way, Lagerfelds furs and knits and fabrics blur together so seamlessly that you will have a hard time determining what could be the SOFTEST boucle wool or is it some extraordinary tightly curled fur. Very subtle and any of these coats would be an investment in an extraordinary fur piece that you would treasure for a lifetime. One in particular is the slim military coat, unembellished except for horizontally shaved stripes and epaulets; a semisheer short cardigan jacket of white Mongolian lamb. I know I'm not being very helpful. At Fendi, I'd say to hell with the budget and buy both short AND long!

Carolina Herrara's short waisted fur coat -that-looks like a fur sweater will leave you completely wrapped in fur. This is the kind of coat that you could imagine Ursula Andrews wearing skiing in the Alps. Herrrara always manages to take elegance to every aspect of her collection and managing to make it look new...Her longer coats are made of lavish lynx, she even did a dress in charcoal broadtail. Long for sure!!

Thomas Maier at Balenciaga confounds my short and long decision by giving us only middling lengths.

His camel colored toggled coat, with fur trim at the sleeves and a muff like fur collar is neither short nor long. This coat is not trendy or entirely classe. Instead, it is your catch-all coat. It merges past and present, long and short. Beaver collars and military style that will last forever,suggesting sixties, ninetiesa and the future. Now if you ask me, an investment in this coat is a very practical decision …not long or short …talk about waffling…!!
Happy New Year.

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