A Single Coat
The hero wanted to buy me a really nice wool coat for Christmas and, in truth, I really needed it. My existing one had expired on several levels:
- It was too big, unless I was wearing a really big jacket underneath.
- The fabric, 100% merino wool, was worn through in several places. Not the lining though. I could stick my finger through the holes in the cuffs.
- Dd, the starving college student, was wearing it more than I.
I was going to show you the two top contenders, but I couldn’t find a picture of the other one. So here is what we bought. $100 at TJMaxx. It is 70% wool, 20% nylon, and 10% cashmere, medium gray in color.
I titled this post “A Single Coat” because if I were to limit myself to one coat, a wool topper-length coat would be the one.
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Italian Style: Coats
Culturally, Italians over-dress. When it was sunny with a high of 75 in Venice and people were walking around (looking perfectly comfortable) in black wool coats layered over sweaters, I noticed! I was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and had my jacket tied around my waist (along with all my other pack accessories).
However, Americans, in my opinion, under-dress. How many people do you know who own nothing warmer than a leather coat for outerwear? Here in the mountains of The Great Northwest, where sub-zero temperatures are not unheard of, I know plenty of people who never wear coats. At all.
Now we could discuss the reasons for that, or take a poll about whether we’d rather be too hot or too cold, but I prefer to point out advantages of the Italian approach (which may be common to other countries - say Canada? - as well):
- All it really takes to look good is to wear a great coat (and shoes and bag).
- Although coats are bigger ticket items, infinite variety is not required.
Can you see yourself in one of these coats?
Especially on the nicer days, we saw lots of cycle-style leather jackets. With the sporty stripes and the breath-of-fresh-air color combination, if I had a spare hundred bucks, this one would be mine!
Many coats, both wool and parkas, were belted. Also plentiful were drop-waisted belt styles, although it was too early to see many trenches.
I just threw this one in ’cause she looks so darn cute!
The over 60 crowd were primarily sporting classicly elegant quilted jackets, alongside lots of wool, of course.
How about you? Are you more likely to over-dress or under-dress?
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Another Stab at a Spring Coat
Sadly, this is the best I could do with the silver-grey trench. After debating whether I could pull off a “cute Columbo” look, I decided it’s just not me. I love the crisp look of a well-fitting trench. This is not it.
One is left to wonder what Gap executives were thinking when they offered a trench which can neither ironed nor dry-cleaned. Thankfully, I only had $1, plus tax, time, and energy into it.
Back to the drawing board. Shown here with my other finds from this week’s Value Village venture: the dark denim unbelted trench with the tags still on it - $1. Which brings to mind a great question to ask yourself when thrifting:
if I had bought it when it first came out, would I still be wearing it?
This is an especially helpful question for people who are losing weight or for any other reason are having to build a wardrobe in a hurry. Which circumstance I feel I am sort of in right now for two reasons:
- I spent almost no money or time on my own wardrobe last fall when I was costuming Little Women
- Spring is without a doubt my most challenging season to for which to dress.
Still standing, just in a little street in Trieste, is this first century Roman arch. Until this trip, I don’t know that I had shown any pictures of my winter coat. I love the color! My question to you is this: are you tired of this coat silhouette? It was so common a few years ago that I feel like I should be tired of it, yet I find that when I see a woman wearing a coat of this cut, I still like it.
(click on the picture to see it a little bigger OR this link to a picture where you can really see the coat.) 
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Hands Free Umbrella
A hands free umbrella? What would that be, something that sits on your head? In a word - yes!
Before I met him, my hero’s summer hat was a desert camouflage boonie hat; and this was before Desert Storm made them popular. Now we each have a different color pattern. An inexpensive and functional hat, they really do keep the rain off both glasses and neck. Mine is solid green.
Now, in time for the recent barn party, I got my winter version - a wool felt crushable cowboy hat. In true chicken and egg style, I’m not certain which came first, though, reading Hats Decoded at StyleBites, pointing out that wide brim is the hat shape for me, or my hero trying on cowboy hats at the western store where we buy his jeans, causing me to notice that they were wool.
In any case, after deciding that I was just going to get a wool cowboy hat and wear it with a silk scarf under, I found this one which features a serendipitous bonus: EAR FLAPS! Who would have thought? They work!
Now, your assignment, if you choose to accept it: read the post at StyleBites and come back and tell me if you can identify a workable hat shape for yourself. I’m stoked! No more buying a $10 hat each winter, only to revert to cotton balls when the laughter and mocking becomes unbearable!
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Teen Style Tuesday: More on Coats
Perhaps it was just so that she didn’t have to wear her letterman with her evening gown, but my daughter finally broke down and bought herself a “grown up coat”. 
With her broad shoulders, finding comfortable tailored clothing can be a challenge; which accounts for why she compromised and got black. It was comfortable. Until she finds a scarf, though, she can wear this hoodie to keep the black from washing out her peaches and cream coloring.
You can’t really see the detailing, but it’s got some ruffly stuff going on in the middle; her co-workers assured her it did not make her look pregnant. lol
I predict she’ll wear this coat for many years.
Update:
After searching all over (including Macy’s, where she bought the coat) for the exact coat - Billabong, textured wool-blend, baby doll style - I found this coat at Nordstrom which is similar, just so you can get an idea what it’s like.
(I’m afraid she might have liked this one better. ?*?*? Oh well.)
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Teen Style Tuesday: Macy’s Coats
Probably someday I’ll win some sort of SEO prize for the term “better late than never”. lol
Since my 18 year old daughter began working for Macy’s, two subjects concerning us have surfaced: one, she suggested I become a Macy’s affiliate; and two, COATS. Her current picks:
- DKNY Jeans Juniors Belted Plaid Coat $148.00
- Roxy “Snow Bunny” Plaid Bomber Jacket
$74.00 - American Rag Double-Breasted Empire Waist Jacket
$119.00
Colors: black, cobalt, red, white - Calvin Klein Jeans Empire-Waist Plaid Coat
Orig. $149.50
Now $73.99
And here’s one for me:
American Rag Double-Breasted Tweed Coat
$139.00
Who likes double-breasted?
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Susan in Paris
At the recommendation of Charity Grace, I went to JCPenney to hit up their clearance racks today. The only thing I found was inspiration. (Inspiration - YAY!) I walked in, took one look around, and thought, “these colors would be perfect for Susan’s trip to Paris.” I grabbed a cinnabon for lunch and scampered home to scour the affiliate pictures.
Minus the heels, this picture from Bodenusa.com is a good start. While the dress has a nice classic style, and the white pants and sweater also form an appropriate ensemble, what I’m really recommending is the color scheme:
warm browns, from cream to khaki to chocolate
in combination with
warm blues, from robin’s egg blue to aqua to teal, and maybe even a cyan navy
You see, while black is possibly good advice for most, on that topic Susan and I agree: it’s not for everybody. And it’s not much for us.
The pieces:
- a classic style dress would be nice, like the one pictured or a shirtdress or whatever you like, print or solid.
- I would probably take two pairs of what Angie calls 8 hour shoes, at least one of them a full shoe as opposed to a sandal, not athletic shoes.
- although it doesn’t rain much at all in September in Paris, the trench seems a sensible coat option. Scarves and umbrellas are a personal thing (I would take neither).
In addition to the above, choose casual separates for mix and match and you can get away with packing just a few things.
The classic casual uniform template:
- skirt or trousers or dressy bermudas or nice-fitting, dark-wash jeans
- knit tops
- layering pieces, including some that can be doubled up (like a sweater worn under a blazer)
Everything pictured here is from Boden, a UK company, and also on sale.
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Fashion Lab: Giant Shoulders
Here it is, my $1 vintage 1980s leather jacket. With skinny pants …
and wide.
Agathe at Style Bytes blogged a few days ago about the possible return of giant shoulders. I suspect we will see, not what was overdone in the 80s, but an updated take on wide shoulders.
But who cares? I am going to wear this jacket. Any guesses with which pants?
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Fur-Collar Friday Fashion Lab
A number of years ago, a random box from my mom arrived with this very cool fur collar in it as packing. Trying to find a way to wear it has been a winter occupation of mine ever since.
(If this lab inspires you, vintage coats with these collars are the proverbial dime a dozen at thrift stores these days.)
Another maneuver I tried was to use the fur collar as a scarf. You can kinda see that in this “parka” picture; the trouble was keeping it in place (it was really cozy, though).
The year the collar arrived, fur collars on sweaters were popular. Well, that just won’t work for me. How do I fit my coat over the sweater? (You southern belles might be able to pull off a wintery outerwear look with just a cardigan. It might be more of a challenge for you to find the fur collar at the thrift store, though.)
Well, I can honestly say none of these looks do it for me. But as I have been thinking about this project this week I realized what I think might: a shortish trench in a springy army green color.
Here’s why:
- It’s outerwear.
- I’m ready for that color again.
- And it looks good on me (it’s both warm and soft).
- But I don’t have any green pants for it to clash with.
- The military vibe of the jacket would counter-act the feminine drama of the fur collar.
Any other thoughts? I think I could find such a jacket in my price range (next to nothing $).
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Fleece Vest = Outerwear
Anyway, my point, and I do have one, is this: IMHO, a fleece vest looks like outerwear. When wearing it, you project the appearance of wearing a coat. In fact, almost all polar fleece gives off the same vibe — “I’m outdoors”.
I allow there are exceptions, but in general I wouldn’t wear it except for leisure activities. And never as shown, with a short sleeve t-shirt.
And, another thing. These kind of cotton t-shirt type turtlenecks are UNDERWEAR, especially when done in cutesy little prints. Together with a fleece vest, they could be a cute look for a sporting event or game night (WITH JEANS).
Just my opinion, but I thought you’d want to know.
