Six years ago, in London, I bought a black trenchcoat at Joseph. I should mention that I only recently realized that I acquired the coat that long ago. It came to me as I was complaining that a seam on the shoulder was coming undone. I then took a really good look at the coat and came to the further realization that it’s no longer black but more of a dark grey. In short, I have worn the trench so much that it has bleached and is literally falling apart…I have killed it…a funeral must shortly take place (no flowers, just close relatives and accessories).

This is one of those bittersweet fashion moments. There’s comfort in the fact that the money was well spent and you snagged something that you loved and managed to get so much wear out of. At the same time, there’s the anxiety…will there be another trench as useful and wearable as this one? The perfect light coat for Spring and Autumn’s mild and showery weather. Time will tell, but I am now a woman on a mission…and yes, I did pull the Joseph out of my closet today…it was raining.