Heritage Coat

Sunday, November 28th

Once upon a time this coat lived in Scotland. My Nana brought it back to the states as a gift for my Mom. My Mom wore it everywhere in the 1960's. Right up until she gave it to me. I found it in the closet and my Mom, of course, said I could wear it. I wore it to high school every chance I could.    

I got made fun of for it alot. I was a little smaller in high school, so the coat probably seemed a little bigger, boxier and certainly was not what other girls from Long Island were wearing. It didn't really matter to me. What did matter was that my Nana bought it, in Scotland, in the 60's, and it was/is my Mom's. That's quite enough to qualify as a cool coat for me. 

I know that shearling is a hot commodity these days. In the case of this coat, I really don't care. I will wear this coat in ten years as much as I did when I first found it. I tend not to care about the trends that don't pertain to my life. For the ones that do it's incredibly convenient that things I like are available and being sold in stores. 

Vintage and thrifted items have become one of the biggest trends lately. To this I say, the more the merrier. Something it does is give me the chance to wear all my Mom's old clothes and not worry about getting made fun of because it's cool now. One of the funniest moments was when a friend who used to make fun of this coat in high school complimented it recently. Coincidentally, it was just as thick shearling coats were coming into popularity.

Style is all relative. I will never be the girl who is hunting down trends left and right. At best they give me a new idea, a way to try something that I haven't thought of yet. Some people thrive on trends. It's a choice and it works for them. That's fine. I just know it's not something that works for me. I'm very picky about nearly everything, so the idea of someone telling me from top to bottom what I should wear generally doesn't work for me. 

I have always had an appreciation for older items (probably due to my Mom's antique shopping/collecting) especially items that have been within my family for years. While I don't live by the vintage or bust rule, I admired girls who are able to pull off that look so well. It takes serious commitment and hard work to find the right pieces to build an entirely vintage wardrobe.

My Mom's Sweater, High Waisted Seven Jeans, Old Belt, My Mom's Thermolite Boots
My Mom's Vintage 60's Shearling Coat from Scotland

I'm not trying to say that I'm a thrift/vintage/re-use ideal. Far from it (although in a perfect world I would like to be). I would be lying if I didn't say that most of the things I own are new. What I know is that I treasure this coat much more than anything I could ever buy new, because there is a story to it. A story that I feel a connection to. I have a reason to hold onto this coat, take care of it, wear it well, and maybe pass it on. This is my favorite coat.

I spent this weekend relaxing at my parents, baking, and doing some Christmas shopping. Now I am at my apartment enjoying this lovely new Cypress and Cassis candle from Sydney Hale Co. I'd highly recommend it, especially since they donate 10% of the profits from each sale to a local Animal Rescue Foundation. Win-win.