As the weather turns from morbidly hot to fantastically crisp, most stylish women are all too happy to break out their tights, sweaters, pea coats and scarves. All-encompassing fabrics such as velvet, corduroy, tweed, and wool have always been fall wardrobe staples, but this season saw the addition of one more unexpected must-have texture: fur, faux and real (but vintage).

Designers such as Chanel and Prada have shown faux fur in recent runway shows and ad campaigns, and fashion magazines such as Elle sing the praises of this humane alternative to an otherwise cruel fashion practice. A slew of faux fur accessories fills the pages of nearly every major fall fashion magazine, and the windows of stores from Neiman Marcus to Forever 21. If you simply must wear "the real thing", go the slightly less guilty route of shopping for vintage fur. A variety of gorgeous options is available online at sites such as Modcloth and Shareen Vintage.

However, the sartorial selection that allows for full volume tilt of the faux fur trend is when it's incorporated in a subtle way into your ensemble. Be it in a bag, a set of gloves, or tossed over a cardigan in the form of a collar or vest - a collision of just the right amount of fashion eccentricity and practicality. With that little bit of pop provided by a faux fur embellishment, even a simple jeans and blouse look becomes instantly chic. No more having to change from a "day" to "evening" with a faux fur accent, as it's appropriate for day, evening, casual, business and formal.

Luckily this cool-weather trend will be around until things start heating up again in Spring, so go ahead and splurge on something a little fabulous for yourself - it will carry you and everything in your purse all the way through winter!