wear the old coat and buy the new book

The long awaited tweed, tartan and wool season has finally arrived.

I adore the whole experience of winter clothes. I love the texture,

the color, the snuggliness, and the bug-in-a-ruggliness. They're just

far more interesting and fun to wear, than simple summer fare.

I miss the annual washing up of the kids' winter coats and trying them

on for size. So, in the spirit of the tradition, I was digging in the front

closet at the empty nest manor this week, the one that's under the

front staircase.

I found a fun cobalt blue wool coat, made in Peru, I bought back in the

'70s, completely forgotten, zipped up in a bag in the back. It's blanket

style, trimmed in fabulous floppy, extra long fringe, and the wool has

a wonderful waffle pattern. The collar can be buttoned up, in a scarf-

like fashion, or worn open and drapey.

.

Best of all, amazingly enough, it fits me after all these years. Talk

about doing wonders for my self esteem. And not a moth hole in sight.

No new coat needed for me this year. You know what that means?

More books!

You know what else? The cobalt blue compliments my family tartan

perfectly. My ancestors are smiling. Hey, is it my imagination, or am

I seeing all kinds of tartan everywhere this fall, after I posted on it in

September? I just saw a whole page of tartan products in the

December issue of Elle Decor's "Trend Alert". I told you I was

psychic. Or maybe they just love my sense of style? Keep your eye

out, now, for cobalt blue blanket coats. Don't forget, you saw them

first at Willow Manor.

.

Wear the old coat and buy the new book.

Austen Phelps

(Mr. Phelps certainly got this right.)