Coats

My sister, Esther and I were chatting about how difficult it will be this year for the many unemployed to have a merry Christmas when they are facing loss of benefits and possible home foreclosure.

One of the charities that Esther gives donations to is Coats For Kids¹. When she was telling me about the program, I thought of the many coats I've had over the years, including a coat I got when I was about 4 years old. The memory has never left me and I believe it was the first time that I exhibited a strong feeling of color preference. Or it might have been sibling rivalry and not color consciousness.

My mother and aunt Pearl had taken my sister, Adeline, who was three years old and me to a store to buy coats for the winter. As the clerk brought coats of various sizes for us to try on, we stood in front of a three way mirror and turned this way and that so Mom and Pearl could judge the fit and style.

The coats brought for Adeline to try on were a perfect fit for her and both Mom and Pearl commented on how sweet Adeline looked in them. The choice was a toss up between a navy blue sailor coat with brass buttons and one that was fire engine red.  Mom and Pearl both seemed to like the red one best, but the decision was put off until one was selected for me.  I liked both the sailor coat with it's big collar and brass buttons, but the red coat was by far the most exquisite coat I had ever seen and I wanted one like it.

When it was my turn to try on coats, the clerk had only one coat in my size and it was a brown one. Not only was it brown but had tiny white hairs woven into the fabric and in my opinion, the coat looked like it had dog hairs on it. I let Mom know that I didn't like it and would like a red one.

Mom made the remark that it was just as well that there wasn't a red coat in my size since the red color did not go with my red hair. The clerk searched further and came up with a green one, but it was a tad too small. The brown coat was the only one available and when Mom said she would buy it, I threw a tantrum.  I did not want to wear the brown coat.  I cried and carried on to the point that Mom and Pearl thought it best to leave the store. They put off buying Adeline a coat and after paying for mine, they hurried me out to the street.  I cried and pouted all the way home but I could not make Mom change her mind.

The coat I bought with my first earnings was a source of pride for me as long as I wore it. It was a tan camels hair coat suitable for the bitter cold Iowa winters.

Among my favorites was a coat designed for me by a couturier in Paris when I lived there. It was dark forest green with a small red checked wool lining designed for the coldest winters. I wore it for years until I moved to a warm climate and gave the coat to Mom to tear up and weave into a hand woven rug on the loom Dad made for her.

I've had fabric and leather coats but never one of fur. Presently, I have a beautiful natural gray alpaca cape my daughter gave me, and I wrap it around me when the Texas winters vie for the worlds coldest record.

¹ Check your local area for a Coats for Kids donation drive.

Gray Alpaca Cape