Am feeling fairly miserable with a cold, but Blackbird calls upon us to show and tell our coats, and so I've dragged myself off of the couch and actually changed my clothes into something photographable.
For someone who lives in a place where it rarely gets really cold, I discover that I have quite a lot of coats. These pictures are a bit gloomy, which may fit either my mood or the late afternoon lack of sunlight, but here are my favorites --
A lovely forest-green wool coat, reversible to a dark sand khaki from J. Peterman. Love this coat, the way the lapels turn into a hood and wrap around my shoulders, set off by the asymmetrical opening. Oddly enough, I've never worn it with the khaki side out. I rarely could afford to buy much from J. Peterman (and have assiduously avoided the web catalog) but the things I did get have been wonderful, beautifully made and a joy to wear. I wore this coat only last week when we bought our Christmas tree, and in the pocket I found a packet of tissues and a tiny candy cane, and a Hong Kong ten-dollar coin.
The classic tan Burberry. A souvenir of my first trip to London, in my salad days. I felt the satin lining slide over my arms and I was hooked. I've stuffed this under many a theatre seat since, in London and Stratford, so it holds some wonderful memories. In the pocket, a Ricola and a green peppermint.
A Fifties-era tweedy-black wool swing coat, knee length, two huge black plastic buttons. Beautifully gored with topstitched seams, and a purply-black satin lining. I got this from a thrift store for about ten dollars, an utter bargain. In the pocket, another Ricola.
A black cashmere coat, also probably from the fifties, this one with a rather un-PC but oh-so-luxurious mink collar, which can be worn either flat, as in the photo, or hooked together to make one of those lovely fifties round picture collars. Another thrift store treasure. In the pocket, a ticket stub for a Cecilia Bartoli recital some years ago.
Oh, Blackbird, I actually feel better now! Amazing, how cashmere and, ahem, a touch of mink can lift the spirits!
I am so sorry you don't feel well tonight - but so, so happy you posted.
These coats are beautiful - truly.
I can't decide which is my favorite, but I do love that you modelled them and that you told what was in the pockets. (I found ten bucks in my coat pocket today!)
Feel better soonest and have a beautiful christmas...
Posted by: blackbird | December 23, 2005 at 04:48 PM
Love that coat! And oh so familiar!
Posted by: Suse | December 23, 2005 at 06:15 PM