Familia

The Coat

A few weeks ago I attended Xavi’s school production of The Tempest. He played Ariel, which he shared with two other students. This post isn’t about Xavi’s play, which I have so many feels about. How is my baby up on stage reciting Shakespeare?

Cindy giving a side hug to her son Xavi. He’s holding flowers and in his theater costume blue pants, shiny vest and a white shirt. She’s in a long multi-patterned dress and suede coat.
My thespian!

In getting ready for the play I decided to go a little dramatic to match my dramatic kid (his words!). I chose a new-to-me multi-patterned flowy dress. It was one of several dresses/skirts my cousin’s wife Sara let me have.

Cindy looking to the side in her suede fur-trimmed coat and multi patterned dress with lots of pinks and burgundies. She’s wearing aviators and has her hair down.
Cindy in her suede fur-trimmed coat and multi patterned dress with lots of pinks and burgundies. She’s wearing aviators and has her hair down.

It was too cold for just the dress and none of my other coats looked right. So I got out my maxi-length suede fur-trimmed coat. It matched the hippie, boho vibes.

This coat was the first item I thought of when I read Leonor’s newsletter # 261 (October, 2021)

What is the oldest item of clothing you own? My “rules” when I asked my friends was “nothing vintage, something you actually wore and could/do wear now” 

Sure I have old t-shirts from my UCLA student activism days, but I wouldn’t wear them now. I keep them for sentimental value.

The coat was originally a Christmas gift from my sister. It was Lori’s first year out of high school and she had a job working at the same dealership with my dad and brother.

The coat was the kind of gift I wouldn’t buy myself because of the price or practicality – when would I need this kind of coat in LA? – but would secretly covet. As my sister, she knew me!

Cindy in her early 20s on a NYC subway platform for queens plaza. She’s in her suede fur-trimmed coat and is wearing it buttoned down with a tan bucket hat, boot-cut jeans and tan boots
January 2003

I wore it a few days later during my first trip to New York City. I even found a matching hat and felt cute.

Throughout my 20s, I’d wear it occasionally, but never on the regular. I wore simple pea coats and hoodies that allowed me to blend in and not bring attention to myself. It was why I often hid behind my long hair. I didn’t feel confident in my body.

Cindy sits cross-legged in a bookstore reading a poetry book in her suede fur-trimmed coat, jeans and sneakers. Her long dark brown hair falls over the book.
Hiding behind my hair

Last year, I pulled it out of the closet to briefly play dress up with Archie. He’d just got some new aviators and I thought he’d look cute with the coat on. I also tried it on then and it was too small.

Archie in the coat and avaiator sunglasses. Both are too big for his 7-year-old frame.
Archie in the coat

I briefly thought about selling it and looked up prices on eBay. But I didn’t want to do that since it was the first gift my sister got me as an adult with her own real money.

Cindy gives her sister Lori a kiss on the cheek. Lori is in a red long-sleeved shirt and Cindy is in the coat. They’re in their early-mid 20s.
At Lori’s 21st birthday party

I’d rather give it away to someone I knew. Instead I put it back in the closet with a goal of fitting into it again and having a worthwhile place to wear it to… like my kid’s school theater debut.

Standard

One thought on “The Coat”

  1. Not a clothing item – but I also still have the first gift my sister gave me with “grown-up” money. It’s a beautiful black leather day planner. While I still use notebooks to keep my worklife organized, I long ago gave up on trying to make the Franklin Covey way work for me. But I can’t bring myself to give the planner away. Every once in a while I look at it and think, “maybe I should resurrect it.” One day I might.

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