Coat of Many Colors

When I was a kid my parents would get us up for church on Sunday mornings and all I could think of was, 'get me hence to Sunday school for the stories' - my favorite of which was Joseph and and the coat of many colors his father Jacob made especially for him (even then it was all about the fashion).  

I remember being in town in the dead heat of summer with my mom (small  prairie towns near our farm) and asking if she could make me a coat like Joseph's.  In my mind I saw a brightly knitted zigzag (missoni before my time, anyone?) coat that came all the way to the ground...purples, reds, pinks, yellows and greens.  I can still envision it now.  I think she responded with something like, "ask grandma" because my grandma was a crocheter extraordinaire and we were besties.  For some reason I never asked her but would, from time to time, wrap myself in the brilliant colored afghan blanket she had made me pretending I had a coat just like Joseph.  And the dream of that coat lived on, tucked away in a corner of my mind, for years.  It reared it's head when Dolly Parton sang 'Coat of Many Colors' (even though my I claimed my ears bled I loved it), and later when a friend surprised me with tickets to see Donny Osmond perform in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for my birthday.

About a month ago a Free People sweater caught my eye...The Technicolor Dreamcoat.  My heart sped up at the title and I gave it a click.  There it was!  My dream had come to life some 20 years later!!  Unable to take it anymore, a couple weeks ago I stopped into Free People and tried it on...then last week when Shopbop had their sales codes I scooped it up!  And last night I slept with it next to me on my bed.  It is everything I ever imagined and more.

Free People-Technicolor Dreamcoat, James Perse-Cotton/Cashmere Thermal, J Brand-Houlihan,

Banana Republic-Boots, Brandy & Melville-Bag

 The lapels in front give way to fringe that runs to the bottom of the sweater.

 It is warm and cozy and the colors are wonderfully soft, yet vivid.

 

 Dean Davidson-Turquoise Ring, Free People-Locket Necklace (from about 4 years ago)

I threw it on with my fringe bag (and other ring from LF) yesterday and almost burst 

into tears when I saw how great they looked together.

Twirling, swirling, colored fringe perfection.  

Christmas came early this year.

I'd like to thank God, Free People, La Mia Vita for hosting the Shopbop Giveaway I won, Shopbop for giving the gift certificate away and having an amazing deal last week, my credit card company, UPS for delivering the sweater, and my late grandmother for the afghan that kept the dream alive! (you'd think i just won a grammy)

And then she walked off into the sunset and never looked back.

The End