Musings on a Military Jacket

[Jacket: Madewell // Shirt: Ann Taylor, thrifted // Skirt: "vintage" Old Navy
Boots: Civico 10 Sportster (no longer available) // Necklace: The Monica, K.O. Designs]

When I really like something unnecessary, I stalk it for months waiting for a sale. By the time I finally purchase it, my friends are so tired of hearing about it that they probably want to throw a party. A few times they've even bought it for me to bring the agonizing to an end!

Toward the end of last winter, I started to wish for a lighter jacket that wasn't a trench. I was tired of the belts and buckles and added bulk. Happily, the military jacket trend is right up my alley - I wore my dad's olive green Coast Guard coat for most of college. It was big on me then, but now I practically look like the kid from A Christmas Story in it, so I can't start wearing it again. When I saw this Madewell military jacket online, it was instant love. But it cost more than I've ever spent on one item of clothing. For the last six weeks I've searched for something comparable at a more reasonable price. I hit T.J. Maxx, Ross, and all my usual online haunts. Friends sent me links from fashion blogs. Nothing else came close to the perfection of this jacket. Every detail was exactly what I wanted.

I was off on Monday for my friends' visit. So after they left, I drove out to our only Madewell in Germantown to see the jacket in person, hoping that it wouldn't work for me and I could stop thinking about it. No such luck. When I put it on, it was like it was made for me. The salesgirl saw her easiest commission of the week in my face. I took the jacket home, and everyone rejoiced.

When I was growing up, all my clothes came from garage sales and bargain basements. On the rare occasion we bought something in a regular store, it was from the clearance rack. In high school I had a few cherished items from final markdown at the Gap. My mom did a great job within our limitations - once she found me a pristine Girbaud jean skirt, which was the height of cool in Memphis in the early 90s. But the message that clothes weren't a financial priority was deeply ingrained in me. I still get most of my clothes at thrift stores, by choice (I'm very selective and no one can tell the difference). I love a good deal as much as the next person. But I've been working for a long time now and can occasionally afford nice, new pieces. Yet I feel so guilty and irresponsible when I do. I'm trying to convince myself that it's not a sin to invest in quality sometimes, rather than going for the cheapest possible option every time. Does anyone else struggle with this?

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