RSS feedA guy walks into a coat shop and says…
RBF: A coat thanks, black, full length.
CSG: Ahh, you don’t want a full length.
Trust me to get the only mind reading Coat Shop Guy in Canberra.
RBF: Umm, yes I do.
CSG: They went out of fashion years ago, you don’t want one of those. How many people do you see walking around with full length coats? Almost full length is all you need.
RBF: Well, I see quite a few actually, and that’s what I’d like. I don’t think fashion consciousness should be a defining criteria in the search for a coat. I mean, it’s bloody cold outside, so for someone from Sydney, temperature is a fairly critical factor.
CSG: Look, a full coat comes to here [points to ankle] and gets pretty mucky, almost full length comes to here [points to middle of calf], no difference.
RBF: Wouldn’t a full length be warmer then?
CSG: Nup, no difference.
RBF: Right, well I’ll have that one then!
Of course I’ve prematurely ended the story, because while I’m sure you’re bored already, you’d be even more bored with the extra 20 minutes it took to try them all on. Although the following exchange was mildly amusing.
RBF: [trying on coat and looking in the mirror] So, tell me about this coat.
CSG: Well, like what? What it’s made of?
RBF: Sure, let’s start with that. [under my breath] Although I’m sure I could just look it up on the little ol’ tag here.
CSG: Well, it’s made of wool.
RBF: Uhuh.
CSG: And it’s a good looking coat.
RBF: Sure. Lucky I picked this one then, hey?
Anyway, I learnt a whole lot about coats today, the fact that the length of the coat for any particular season typically bares no immediately discernable relationship to temperature or weather for example, and is based almost entirely on the cut/style. Also, the fact that coats are designed to be worn on top of a suit or similar jacket, because there are no shoulder pads in a coat, and the suit jacket helps to maintain the shape and fit of the coat. And get this…
RBF: So what about rain, how does it handle small spits of rain or other mild forms of precipitation?
CSG: Well, you could always Scotch Guard it.
RBF: Sure. But how does it come? With any chemical type of coating, or is it just the pure wool?
CSG: Well, it’s a good quality coat, it will be fine.
I was resigned to assuming none, to save the frustration of having to press the issue further.
Anyway, I now have a new coat, which is supposedly a good looking and good quality coat, with a “Peter Pan” style collar. I baulked at this at first, images of flying to Never Never Land with Wendy in tow, going through my head, but it is oh so comfortable.
Coats. It’s not about Function, it’s about Fashion.