Now how one becomes the owner of a vintage faux leopard print coat with Minnie Mouses scattered happily across is no accident. No accident at all. It's fate.
Thursday morning I was waiting for the train here in Brooklyn. Then, like a freaking ORACLE, this woman walks by wearing this faux fur coat with MINNIE MOUSES printed all over it. I noticed the coat first, and I expected her to be a batshit baglady, but she was totally pulled together and looked RAD. She was probably late-40s, early 50s, and looked like the SHIT. Anyway, I was like, what is that? Jeremy Scott? Jean-Charles de Castelbajac or something? Asish? I paused my game of Word Mole (at which I RULE, by the way), and I snapped a photo of her. Idiotically, the flash and shutter sound effect were both on. Nice one, Tams. Anyway, she didn't notice, but some people around her did. I wheeled around and walked very quickly, in a way that surely called attention to myself and my failure to be covert in any way, and I headed toward the front of the train. (And finished my Word Mole game. And I thought. I thought about that coat).
Anyway, I Googled "animal print Mickey Mouse coat" later that day, and GUYS I'M NOT KIDDING! IT CAME UP ON ETSY!!!!! Not the exact same coat, but almost. It was reserved for someone, but it looked like that someone slept on it because it'd been on hold for almost a month. I emailed the owners, Tarantula Sisters (who have some amazing vintage, btw), who confirmed that the original reserver was no longer interested (SUCKER!), and they sold it to me for $100 (someone on this Ebay message board paid $500 for one back in the day). SAME. FREAKING. DAY, guys!
Anyway, will I look like a wackadoo bag lady in it? Probably. Or a '70s pimp from a Blacksploitation flim? Or worse -- someone from Williamsburg? I'm sure. But I DON'T CARE! This jacket was MEANT to be mine. This must be how those dudes on "Pawn Stars" feel when they open a cardboard box marked that says, like Brawny paper towels on the outside, and it's filled with some total treasure on the inside. And should I happen to see that woman from the train who led me to my own treasure I'll nod in thanks... and pretend not to notice if someone takes a camera phone photo of me from behind.