Toggles and Hoods and Taylor Swift.

Ever since I can remember I have always wanted a coat that had Toggle Buttons on it. So much so that I bought my son a coat with Toggles on it, and I'll admit I'm a little jealous every time he puts his coat on.  It has something to do with the fact that I loved Paddington Bear so much as a child. I'm certain there were other book characters that wore Toggle Coats but Paddington is the only one I remember at the moment. I know it also has something to do with my love of buttons.  As a child I hated zip ups and wanted everything to button. Toggle Buttons though were the ultimate button, my favorite kind of button. I would play with them for hours in the store, but I never actually had anything with Toggles on it. I also love to have hoods on coats.  I use them quite frequently if I have them, and prefer the kind with out strings as I never actually use the strings and am instead constantly fighting to keep them even.  Hoods are great at adding extra warmth with a hat and scarf, or adding protection if you have forgotten to bring your hat for warmth or umbrella should it begin to rain. I also think they can look quite smart if worn the right way, and are great for protecting your hair from the wind.

The coat I have currently have is a very lovely coat, and is warm, but it has neither Toggles or a Hood.  It's practical and classy, and I'll most certainly (barring some heinous accident) have it forever. A double breasted Peacoat in black that hits at the hip and on most days I feel makes me look a little fat, but not badly so I'm okay with it, I hate the satin lining, and wish it were a flannel or fleece lining so it would be even warmer, but it is still warm.  It's from Aeropostale, and it's only a year old. I like my current coat, but something feels wrong about it.  So I began searching for the perfect coat. I should have known better than too. Then I found it.  My dream coat, the most gorgeous coat I have ever seen.  But I didn't need it and it was expensive, so I didn't say anything to my husband about it.  Then it went out of stock, and I freaked out, and was more upset than I thought I should have been. I finally told my husband about it, and I went on a mad hunt to find it somewhere else online.  And I did.  And it was on Taylor Swift.  Normally I'm a huge fan of Taylor Swift, but I was mad.  At that moment I was so jealous I was sick to my stomach.  She had my coat, and that's why it was out of stock.  All the Tweens out there obsessed with her had bought it up, and it was gone and I couldn't have it because they decided they had to look like her. Then I moved on, and started berating myself, why hadn't I bought it? It was only $160 usd. I was foolish and now it was gone forever and all I had was the out of stock page and who knew when Topshop would take that down.  Why was I so upset, this was just an item.  It shouldn't matter so much.  I may never know why it did without years of therapy.

It seemed that the Bound Seam Hooded Duffle Coat would never be mine.  I was depressed, I talked about it to anyone that would listen.  Then Miraculously it has came back into stock, and I was so happy I called my husband at work about it. Yet here I am yet again not buying it.  It really is the perfect coat, the right length, the lining doesn't look satin, it's 80% wool, the Toggle Buttons, the pockets and the hood, it's perfect.  I dream of this coat.  But I haven't bought it, because it's expensive and I can't figure out how to justify the money to myself and my husband.  I know I need this coat. Even though normally I would veer away from it because a celebrity had it, this time it's different.  I loved it before I knew she had it.  I had a secret romance with this coat, I would stare at it dreamily for hours, and then clear my browsing history so no one knew I had visited it 8 times in one day.  Okay that's an exaggeration.  I really didn't care if someone knew I looked at this coat 8 times in a day. This may make me seem vapid and shallow or materialistic, and honestly I am a little.  Looks and clothes aren't the only things I care about, but I do care about them.  I am very passionate about them. I haven't actually "needed" an item in a long time.  But I need this coat.  I dream of this coat.


I hope to find it under my Christmas Tree, though I know I won't.  It would be the ultimate present a well loved and well worn item. I would be the happiest girl in the world.  I would forgo Tiffany's for this coat.  There's virtually nothing that could top this coat.  Really the only thing that could is a Burberry Trench, but that's another post and another childhood character.