After looking extremely hopeful for a few days, the temperature today has dropped back down to -6, and shows no sign of rising again in the immediate future. Though I’ve felt truly demoralized and depressed about this strange, everlasting winter off and on for months, today I find myself feeling okay about it. I have a new secret weapon: my great grandmother’s giant teddy bear coat.
I’m not going to go into too much detail about my great grandmother here today, because she really deserves a post (or ten) of her own. I will say however, that she was the single most incredible woman I’ve ever met, and that her style, taste, and knack for bringing people together with cups of fine tea were all passed down to me.
Sadly, my great grandma passed away four years ago this winter, and I miss her everyday. Because no one else in my family shares the same appreciation for pastel chinaware and costume jewellery, I was given most of her belongings to treasure and guard when she died. One of these items was a very long, very heavy wool coat.
For four years, the coat has been hiding out at the back of my closet, forgotten in the shadows. Finally this winter, eager to slip on anything that isn’t my practical parka, I reached to the back of my wardrobe, felt the soft caramel wool, and thought, “Where did this come from?” I slipped it on, and found the coat not only to be beautiful, but incredibly thick and warm too! Draped in its luxurious, heavy weight, I can face any winter cold.
Hat from Bicyclette, Sweater from Aritzia, Jeans by Courtshop, Tote by Fieldguided, Shoes unknown
Photography by Brianne Burnell