I love that coat.

Last week I popped into the office to check my mail - and I do love that that's why I go to the office these days, to check my mail. God, dissertation writing can be terrifically freeing sometimes.  Anyhow, I popped into the office and ran into one of my professors, The Voice. 

He stops me, puts his hand on my shoulder and turns me slightly, saying "Oh, let me see that coat you've got on!"

Now, I'm wearing a calf-length, dark green, wool pea coat that used to be my fathers until I rescued it from its ignominious coffin in the hall closet back home. It is indispensable up here in Thule, where the winters are long and unpleasant.

The Voice is deep in thought as he looks the coat (and its wearer) up and down for several moments.

"Oh, what's the name of this? I used to know..."
"I think it's a pea c---"
"No, no, it's mantel something or other.  I can't remember.  German farmers used to wear them."
"Excuse me?"
"Yes! They're made for trudging about the farm in the cold German rain."
"So... you're telling me I'm wearing a German farmer's coat?"
"Oh, it's alright, they became quite fashionable in the 80s.  I had one that I absolutely adored. My boyfriend at the time couldn't stand it - told me I'd have to be buried in the thing." He stepped back, looking at the coat from a slightly different angle. "Oh, it is a nice coat."

And that was that. Apparently my favorite winter jacket is a German farmer's coat that - I am assured - was quite fashionable about thirty years ago.