C'est parfait!

Maybe we all just need to find a perfect vintage coat? A short story + some favorites

Sep 30, 2024

“Essayez-le!” The tall woman with hair the color of straw pulled the coat off its hanger and held it out to me. It had been love at first sight a few minutes before when we rounded the corner of the old church in Colmar where a flea market had been set up under the warm July sun.

Amidst crystal goblets with green stems, old beer signs, biscuit tins, and embroidered linens, I saw it at the end of a rack of vintage clothes. Matt noticed it too—the dusky-blue-and-brown houndstooth pattern—and immediately declared, “That is so you.”

Now he was insistent. “Oh come on! You’ve gotta try it!”

I slipped my arms into the sleeves, taking note of the flawless lining and the vintage tag that said, “Made in Paris. “Could you take a picture of it?” I asked Matt. He did so and immediately showed me the screen.

“C’est parfait!” the blonde woman said, clasping her hands. Then she told me how she wanted so badly to keep it, but it just wouldn’t close over her chest. Several women had tried it that morning, but it didn’t fit any of them. Maybe this was just the kind of glass slipper story she told everyone, but it worked.

“We’re not leaving until you buy it,” Matt said, shoving his hands into his pockets and shifting his weight as if to cement himself to the spot.

I’m not usually one for impulse purchases, but I immediately opened my wallet and counted out the bills.

Back in our hotel room, I tried the coat on again, picturing the life of the woman who owned it first and the world she moved through, as I turned a little in front of the mirror, studying my reflection.

It was strange to think of the coat on this other woman I would never meet, who then tucked it away for years in the back of a closet or in a dusty trunk in the attic. Sometime during those years, on the other side of the world, I was born and grew. Along the way, I studied the shiny pages of magazines, wishing I looked more like the girls in them.

I heard comments and comparisons from the women around me. I memorized the foods that were deemed “good” and “bad” and learned to fear nourishing my body. I let hunger be a reassuring drug until I saw death staring at me from the mirror.

My body forgave me. She grew and carried five healthy babies and fed them after they were born. I became kinder and softer toward her, grateful for the space she takes up. But I still falter at times, still wish for different—better, bigger, smaller, smoother—especially when I’m trying on clothes.

Then this old coat appeared like something I had dreamed into existence—the exact colors and pattern I love.

“It looks like it was made for you,” Matt said, coming up behind me and kissing the back of my neck.

Maybe it was.

Yes, yes, of course I know better. Another woman wore it first, and maybe there was someone else in between her and me. But I thought of the coat, hanging there in the shade beside the church, where I could see it the moment I turned the corner. Now it hugged my shoulders, promising warmth later when I need it. The fabric fell over my body, and despite all the additions and subtractions I still sometimes catch myself wishing for, it whispered, “Just right.”

September Favorites

In case you missed it, I had an essay on Brevity Blog this past Friday about gifted notebooks and my creative process. I’d love if you read and shared your thoughts! Do you have any quirks, related to writing or otherwise, that you changed? If so, what prompted that change? Also, if you’re new here after reading that, welcome and thank you for subscribing! It truly means so much to me!! <3
We like to have soup on Sunday nights, and last week I made this Vegan Tortilla Soup. Even with substituting and omitting a couple ingredients, it was so delicious and one of the few recipes that everyone in my family loved.
Remember my resolution to only wear shoes that didn’t hurt my feet? Well, that was easy during summer here in the land of Birkenstock, but we went from summer to fall overnight a couple weeks ago. I still love my platform Converse, but there are times when I need something that is not a sneaker or a boot. I found the Dansko Bria on sale for much less than they had been originally, and I really love them. Not sure how the open back will work as it gets colder, but for now they’re great.
After mostly meh books over the summer (the exception being The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride—so good!!!), September was a great month for reading. My top two favorites were Kristin Hannah’s The Women, which was as good as everyone says it is. And after seeing it mentioned on Ashlee Gadd’s Substack (which you should definitely follow if you don’t already), I read Beartown by Fredrik Backman. I realize I’m a little late to the party (it came out in 2017), but this book floored me. It’s so powerful, with characters that stay with you after you’ve finished it.
As I mentioned in my last post, we flew Ryanair to London. For those who haven’t experienced it yet, Ryanair is a European budget airline comparable to Spirit or Frontier Airlines in the States. You can get some amazing deals, but don’t plan on carrying much. By that I mean, carry a “personal item” only. Well, somehow I’d gotten hooked on watching packing videos. They’re mesmerizing! Everything is laid out next to a tiny backpack, and you think, “There’s no way they’re going to get everything in that!” But then they do! It’s like Mary Poppins.
So prior to our flight, I ordered each of us one of these Ecohub backpacks which are exactly to Ryanair (a little stricter than Frontier or Spirit) specifications. Matt was skeptical—did we really need another bag, each?—but ever since our trip, he loves his. It’s become his go-to everything backpack. There are lots of pockets for organization, and even though I forgot to use our compression cubes, we had no trouble fitting everything in for a three-day, warm weather trip. I’m planning to keep using them on our roadtrips this fall as we pack bulkier items to see how doable it is before we fly again with them, but for now I highly recommend!!
(Lilly is carrying her school backpack on her back in addition to the bag I’m talking about in her hands in this picture because she needed it to for all her homework. However, this option was still much cheaper than paying for additional carry-ons for all of us.)