one coat two coat

And so to shopping, refreshed and refuelled by a most delicious brunch at Cafe Anglais where we dined on Smoked Haddock Monte Carlo washed down with Elderflower and white wine spritzers.
Mother had long hankered after a visit to the new shopping mall at Shepherds Bush. Having watched it rise from very inauspicious beginnings it opened with much promise of luxury and a wholly new retail experience.
The reality rarely quite matches up to the hype and sadly this was very much a case in point. Too much glitz and not enough to interest. Bluewater does it so much better. It felt quite empty, many shops seem to have but a sprinkling of customers. I was shocked that there was no John Lewis, No Muji, no Jigsaw or Kew, it felt a bit like a ghost town until we found Zara, which of course was heaving, Without my favourite trinity of shops I did not expect to find anything, let alone two coats.
The one above looks a bit like a blanket I know, but it feels divine. It really looks lovely on and is different enough not to make me feel too mumsy, which my other one tends to do. I already have the perfect biker jacket and have a serviceable mac, all be it more Colombo than Clouseau.
I have previously posted that having trawled through the Sartorialists back catalogue, most days out and about could be made to look great with just a well cut coat and an unusual scarf mix. I have found the scarves, I have worked hard to find the cigarette ankle grazer trousers that look so good with a coat, all I needed was, well, The Coat.
I have to have a raglan shoulder as my own are very broad, this really does limit what I can even try on so I held out little hope especially without my favourite shops.

Instead I was faced with a huge choice in COS of all places. I love their clothes, but I often thought the coats a little esoteric. They are, but when you try them on they look surprisingly good, well OK the couple with built up shoulders were a little too extreme but two really stood out.
The one above is gorgeous. I have not really thought those bracelet sleeves would ever work but they do. It has no collar, all the more room for a scarf. So faced with a choice my head ruled my heart and I bought both. My heart of course wanted the cashmere blue and grey marle cardie from Gap as well as various other similar knitwear. Spending a whole months money on coats really goes against the grain. I woke up twice in the night feeling sick at the expense. Yet I KNOW it is the right thing to do. Why try having one coat to fit both work and going out when having one slouchy and one smart makes sense, it will prolong the wear out of both of them too.
Sadly the view from here continues to be balmy. We are basking in an Indian Summer, maybe I should go and get the cashemere too!