The story of a coat, some trousers, a hat and what lies beneath...

I used to be really regular with joining in with my lovely blog friends The Two Birds' Inspiration Monday. Increasingly, I've somehow just got to Monday and not managed it, not managed to find something appropriate so I thought I'd really try to make a concerted effort to join in when I can, even if the relationship between the inspiration and myself is rather nebulous.

Today, Emma Stone wears a textured woolly coat with generously long but thin scarf (obscuring what top is beneath), jeans and shiny ankle boots.

As you can see, what I wear is er, slightly different but:
Woolly, textured coat: longer and different colour, no zip, but yes.
Thin and long scarf: yes, though wrong colour (thank you for the gift Sophie!)
Shiny ankle boots: wrong colour but yes (thrifted)
Skinny jeans: NO! But shinyish trousers in a shade blue ish.

I'd like to tell you the story of this coat.  It was given to me by my friend E, who we went to stay with in Petworth, Sussex.  It comes from Jaeger and she bought it with her first paycheck in the 1960's  after working in London for a month. She spent her entire month's wages on it,but she felt beautiful and grand in it.  It held her in good stead for many years and she loved it, particularly when times were hard and she couldn't possibly afford anything like it. It has remained in her cupboards ever since.  Unfortunately, her daughter is the wrong size for the coat, so when I went there, she got it out to show me and asked me to try it on and then asked me if I'd like it as it didn't fit her now and it seemed a shame to just be hanging in the cupboard.  What a privilege, I thought, to be the custodian of an item that was so precious to a 20-something E, to look after and wear something with such memories. It is missing a button and another is hanging off, the lining in one sleeve is ripped but it is otherwise a beautiful, warm, well-made coat which I am honoured to have been asked to rehome.


The story of the trousers is a little sadder.I bought these in the ASOS sale. They are, as you might see,rather short for my long legs. Alas, I was trying them on and ended up getting involved with the washing up and emptying of bin as CBC was having a bit of a kitchen crisis trying to cook risotto and empty the bin, whilst  I wearing them in the trying on stage. I wrestled the stubborn bin and binbag out into the garden to vanquish all binnish rebellion. Unfortunately, just as I had pulled the stubborn beastie from its bin hideout, the bin bag, rather like a sword-pierced knight, leaked onto them. So they are staying.

The hat was knitted by a friend. She began her late-life knitting career by making blankets for African orphanages.  She then branched out into hats.  She couldn't follow a pattern, just did her own thing.  She knitted CBC and I 2 hats each one Christmas.  Don't think this one has featured on the blog before but its little sister did - yep, she knitted me two- identical, except that this has a longer crown to it, whereas the other has a more skullcap feel to it! 

Oh and what you don't know is....


I'm wearing my Christmas jumper under the scarf!!!!!!!!!!!

xxx

P.S: Thanks for the recent, kind comments and fun participation in What is it?
I hope I have managed to visit everyone who has commented whose blog has a comment system I can use with my settings (Lily, your Disqus does not allow guests- please can you change the settings to allow them!) Lizzie, I LOVED your tartan coat- so nice!! And I really enjoyed your photo a day!

Sorry to the follower I somehow offended who has swanned off elsewhere! Come back, I'll behave!