The coat came back
If you're Canadian, you might remember the 1988 National Film Board animation, "The Cat Came Back". If not, it's here, just over seven minutes of Wallace and Grommit-ish whimsey.
The chorus, "The cat came back/we thought he was a goner" scampered through my mind because after the move, I'd been thinking that I should not have given up my old caramel Perry Ellis lambskin car coat, which I had placed with a vintage store in Toronto.
It was bought in 1992 at Saks in Boston, deeply on sale. This is when Marc Jacobs designed for the company; Ellis died in 1986.
Probably made it to the sale rack because, though marked a 6, it would swamp anyone truly that size. Think I paid $200-something, at 70% off.
I wore it lightly for some years. When I moved, the Toronto vintage store Thrill of the Find, which accepts the very occasional consignment piece, took it to sell.
Flash forward 16 months, and I thought, That coat... especially when I flipped price tags for a new one. I figured it had gone to a good home.
When visiting Toronto at the end of the summer, I dropped by to see Mireille, the owner, and asked about it. "I was putting that on the floor this week", she said, "it's the season." I tried it on; she marveled at its quality and said, "It's yours!"
Here it is; it's weathered the last nearly 20 years with fewer nicks than I have! Fortunately, Jacobs rejected padded shoulders; I'd try it on in a shop today.
I especially like the generous, caped back...
... and the blouson hem fastened by working horn buttons, an expensive detail.
The current company, Perry Ellis International Inc. (who own Jantzen, and Laundry by Shelli Segal, among other brands) have mislaid both the wit and quality that made women save their pennies to be "Very Perry".
Come back to the Passage next week–another old coat, another story!
Sometimes the "great vintage find" is your own!
 |
| Perry Ellis |
It was bought in 1992 at Saks in Boston, deeply on sale. This is when Marc Jacobs designed for the company; Ellis died in 1986.
Probably made it to the sale rack because, though marked a 6, it would swamp anyone truly that size. Think I paid $200-something, at 70% off.
I wore it lightly for some years. When I moved, the Toronto vintage store Thrill of the Find, which accepts the very occasional consignment piece, took it to sell.
Flash forward 16 months, and I thought, That coat... especially when I flipped price tags for a new one. I figured it had gone to a good home.
When visiting Toronto at the end of the summer, I dropped by to see Mireille, the owner, and asked about it. "I was putting that on the floor this week", she said, "it's the season." I tried it on; she marveled at its quality and said, "It's yours!"
Here it is; it's weathered the last nearly 20 years with fewer nicks than I have! Fortunately, Jacobs rejected padded shoulders; I'd try it on in a shop today.
... and the blouson hem fastened by working horn buttons, an expensive detail.
The current company, Perry Ellis International Inc. (who own Jantzen, and Laundry by Shelli Segal, among other brands) have mislaid both the wit and quality that made women save their pennies to be "Very Perry".
Come back to the Passage next week–another old coat, another story!
Sometimes the "great vintage find" is your own!
Comments
Just goes to show that sometimes it's wrong to part with something you love just because you haven't worn it for a while. When considering new replacement clothing, the prices just go up and quality seems to go down.
A severe cull was necessary, of course, moving and downsizing from a large house to a compact condo. I'm so glad you were reunited.
As for the CAT, my Renzo went missing on Halloween 4 years ago. He returned on the 6th of December!
One lucky black cat.
C.
Ellis hired women in NYC (?) to knit the sweaters. I remember seeing pictures of the knitters. The sweaters were so expensive, over $200 in the late 70s/early 80s!
elke: I see some long coats and you can wear them over shorter skirts. It is the sleeve, especially how it is set into the armhole (and the shoulder, if padded) that dates them. I wonder if you could shorten it, even just a bit, without ruining the line.
lagatta: Both of you are lucky!
C.: Her pea coat sounds stunning. His coats were loved for a reason.
frugal: I bought one of those sweaters in '82 or so, a PE turtleneck handknit in gorgeous thick heathered yarn. The back was a different colourway from the front, subtle but interesting. Wish I had that, too. Who might wear yours, Miss Em?
This is making me realize how deeply I miss Perry Ellis (and also WilliWear). Who make clothes like this now?
Darla
Anonymous December 6, 2012 6:38 PM , don't worry, la Duchesse will wear that here. Our winters aren't as eternal or Siberian as they used to be, but that is a coat for the milder winter days here, with a couple of layers underneath. Last year, I wore my mild-weather coat much more than the very warm down one, but who knows?
Duchesse, yes, a day or two more and I couldn't have saved him as he was so emaciated after 5 weeks on the lam in the bitter cold. He's my little old buddy.
lgatta: A down vest under makes most any coat wearable at a level colder than one would think. I've been alternating leather and down.
Yes, jumble sales don"t have many current looking coats b/c who would give away a good one when they are so expensive to replace?
Can't imagine another person wearing this very special piece.
It has been made for you.
notchke: Can't help but wonder what a skilled tailor could do with that pleated bottom. Ah, Hudson's fur department was splendid- my mother bought me a raccoon coat there; I wore it for about 15 years.
How lovely that you found your coat again. It's definitely "you"!
Coats are next to impossible! I've been looking for a good dress one for years. I've accepted a few almost good enoughs because I've had to. Frustrating!
Now if I can just get through your captcha. It kicks me out about 4 times out of 5!