It’s that time of year when I don’t quite know what coat to wear when I go out. This morning, for instance, was cold – close to freezing when I headed out the door at 7:55 a.m. for a walk with a friend, so I didn’t know which coat to don.
On vacation this wasn’t a problem, I took one coat with multiple zip-up fleece options to wear underneath. Having layers from tanks to tees to sweatshirts were a must on our recent trip to the Southwest where mornings could be as cool as it was today but afternoons were in the 70s or low 80s. And, in Tucson, one day hit 91 – that was a day for shorts and swimming in the afternoon.
But, back to my coat conundrum. One reason I find myself in this position is that I have lots of coats. I collect coats like some women collect shoes or purses. And, to make matters worse, I am not hard on my coats, so they last for years. I also tend to buy coats from reputable sources, LLBean, Lands End, Columbia, and Eddie Bauer are a few brands I own. I attribute the coats’ long-lasting qualities to these brands as well as my gentle wear and annual care.
So, this is definitely a problem of privilege. I own lots of coats. I would not have an issue with deciding which to wear if I only had one, would I? This morning, I put on my bright orange “system” jacket with an inner, detachable fleece jacket and found it too bulky. Back in the closet, it went. Instead of wearing the coat that had served me well all during vacation – a lime green jacket from Eddie Bauer, I selected my fleece-lined jacket from Land’s End. The sleeves in this jacket are not lined with fleece so it slipped on easily over the fleece sweatshirt that I had put on when I dressed. With my coat selection made, I headed out the door.
It might be time to donate some of my coats to those more in need this winter. I’ll have less trouble deciding which to wear, someone else can stay warm, and I might be able to start the same collection anew! I do love my coats!
The Apples in My Orchard 