Q: When is it appropriate to start wearing fur/faux fur wraps as evening wear? Is this month too soon?

A: This is really more a question of common sense than of etiquette. Fur, faux or real, looks appropriate as soon after Labor Day as the weather provides a reason to wear it. If there's a cold snap, it makes sense. If it's still 90 in the shade, it'll look silly. (It's kind of the way you don't light the candles until the sun goes down.)

Patricia McLaughlin is a nationally syndicated fashion columnist.
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