shiny new thing

Raincoats fascinate me. I always expect rain.

This what happens when you've had the life I've had. You end up in Cannes, carrying a raincoat in the middle of spring. True enough, it drizzles.

Some say it's paranoia, but I call it preparedness. Hey, at least I'm not soaking wet.




Anyway, so this was me in the South of France, in an orange kid-size raincoat that was still a little too loose. I got it from a bookstore, of all places.



And this was me up in a mountain almost 3,000 meters above sea level, looking like I was dealing with radioactive chemicals. I got this ugly pair of plastic coat + pants from the store where the motorcycle people get their gear. It worked, but by the time I got down from the summit, both the pants and coat already had big rips. What did I expect for P200?

Naturally, I needed a more fashionable and sturdier alternative.

I might as well be stylishly prepared.







I found this coat on sale from the local Italian warehouse where I get all my goodies. This is from LiuJo, and was about $150 but marked down to $30. I had to have it. (I never pay retail).




It's shiny and made with "crystalized Swarovsky elements."



And it's structured like a regular trench coat down to the details (belt, buttons) except that it's completely waterproof. It's not just "repellent," but "proof." It also folds down to fit into the small body bag where I put all my travel documents, but it's not quite as compact as my previous cheaper raincoats.

I got it one size bigger, in anticipation of layering it over a thick coat should I travel in the fall.

My next trip is in 6 months. I wonder if it will rain.