The thrifted wool coat

I’m just going to say it: I don’t like thrifting.

I know, it’s bad isn’t it? In this woke era we’re living in, I shouldn’t really be telling you this. I should be encouraging thrifting – and I do! I just don’t like it, for a few reasons, and since we’re all friends here in this little corner of the internet, I might as well just lay my cards on the table.

I have tried shopping vintage. Truly. I’ve visited some famous thrift shops like Rokit in London and Armstrong’s in Edinburgh, filled with hopes of discovering buried treasure, but, alas, without success. I’ve browsed sweet vintage shops in charming towns, hoping to find something a bit special that I can imagine a story behind – an old fashioned purse fraying at the edges, a gold locket with tiny marks from being worn and loved, a hardback book whose well-thumbed pages are slightly curled from a previous reader – but I always left empty handed, feeling slightly deflated. And, goodness knows, I’ve been in and out of charity shops in Broughty Ferry and St Andrews almost as much as I’ve been in their coffee shops. To no avail!

I suppose it’s the lazy side of my personality. Here I am putting in all this work over the years, scouring places up and down the country, for no reward. Until, finally, I did find my treasure.

The hard work paid off, in the end. This coat was in the Cancer Research charity shop in Broughty Ferry, and I though I was hopeful (despite all the failed shopping attempts) I didn’t expect the coat to actually look any good. Yet, here I was, standing in front of a mirror with this long, oversized coat over my jeans, kind of liking what I was seeing.

The coat is 100% wool, falls around the mid-calf level, and has a somewhat masculine cut to the lower half. The upper is more voluminous; the shorter length sleeves are wide, the shoulders almost cocoon-like. The sharp lapel and deep pockets make me question if this was a ladies coat… perhaps it was a gentleman’s? It’s hard to tell, but it could well be from the early 90s which would have meant a slightly more powerful cut even in womenswear. Either way, it makes little difference because for the first time, thrifting suits me – I feel good in the coat and I feel good on the inside too.

I’m wearing

Coat, Cancer Research, Broughty Ferry (£30 + dry cleaning)
Jumper, Baukjen (pr gift)
Jeans, Baukjen (pr gift)
Bag, DKNY at Shoeaholics (pr gift)
Boots, Jones Bootmaker (pr gift)

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