a problem...and a solution

This summer I purchased the thrift store score of the century. I had been lusting after those lovely light weight shearling jackets for years. I had tried a few on a few years ago. They felt heavenly on, and weren't heavy.

My local thrift store periodically marks down entire categories of clothing to make space for more stuff on the selling floor. This summer, all leather garments were 1/2 off. I fell in love with a sage colored shearling jacket. I loved how it was all soft and broken in. It also cost all of $22. How could I not take it home?

After it came back from the cleaner's I noticed that the sizing of the jacket was in Japanese. My jacket was made in Spain for the Japanese market. Most Japanese women are built small. I am not built small. The sleeves on my jacket were too short. When it isn't that cold out, that's fine. I can wear the sleeves cuffed as they were designed to be with a pair of my mother's elbow length thin leather gloves. As the weather has gotten cooler, unlined leather gloves are not an option.

Unrolled, the sleeves of the jacket reach my wrist bone, fine for a summer jacket, not so wonderful for a cold weather jacket. I have been wearing the jacket with a pair of wrist length, cashmere lined, olive green suede gloves When I was at Metro last week I found some heavy but supple olive green leather. I thought that I could construct gauntlets for my gloves allowing me to wear the coat with the sleeves rolled up .

So here is the result...The leather is heavy enough to keep my arms protected from the wind.

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sarah in nyc

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