29.

29 – Buy a coat.

I realised that I don’t actually own a coat that I can wear. I have a gorgeous full-length leather trench coat from my goth years, but I feel a bit too grown-up for it now. I know – me, grownup, ha! but I wouldn’t feel right wearing it to work for example. So for about the last three years I haven’t actually worn a coat. I have worn layers and big jumpers or just been cold. But this year, I’ve decided I need a coat. Not least of all because not having one limits what I can wear – if I have a warm coat I can wear what I like underneath it, but without a coat I have to try and wear warm long-sleeved tops at all times. So a few weeks ago I went to buy my coat. I thought it would be easy as I knew exactly what I wanted – a plain black fairly long fairly warm coat. I went to Next where I’d seen one I liked, tried it on, and after umming and aahing over it for about half an hour, decided that I couldn’t justify spending £75 on a coat that I couldn’t decide whether it fitted properly. So I went to Dorothy Perkins, and they had nothing I liked. So I went to New Look, where they had one nice coat, in a size 16. So I went to M & S, where they had one nice coat, in a size 16, and one nice jacket, which did fit, but wasn’t warm or long enough. So eventually I went to Matalan – good old Matalan – and there I found my coat. It’s long and black and warm and fits nicely, and looks fairly stylish with a big belt round the waist. And it only cost me £45. Bargain! (And so far, I’ve managed to wear it once).