Shopping at Searle, a new coat

Nov. 26, 2010 - In my search for a stunning pair of jeans, a list of stores on the Hudson Jeans site led me to Searle on Madison and 84th Street. I liked the colors, fabric and fit in the photographs on the web and thought I’d finally found a brand for women over 30. I went to the store today, hoping to try on my first pair of Hudsons, but they were sold out. They had other brands up to size 30 – the light cotton skinny jeans from 1921 and Tia in light blue, light gray and dark sea green for warmer climates, and stretchy velour leggings in brown and gray for here in the city, but I’m not looking for jeans that look like tights. Claudia, one of the Searles who works here, said Hudson jeans were skinny too. They didn’t look tight in the photos on the web site. I was disappointed, but she said these denims were popular with her customers, mostly women. So I tried to put on a pair of 1921s but couldn’t bring myself to pull these jeans up all the way, the feel of the tight stretchy denim against my skin felt like a surgical bandage, and uncomfortable agsinst my thigh. So I gave up on the jeans and turned my attention to the coats in the window that caught my eye when I walked in.

I’ve loved Searle coats since I bought my first one at Saks years ago, a three-quarter length shearling in black. In August at this store I found a Venezio-Milano anorak in brown with shiny brass zippers and snaps and rivets. The coats are flattering colors and styles and unsual fabrics — I always get compliments on these coats. So while I was in the store today, I thought I might as well look and –surprise! I found a winter coat when I wasn’t looking for one, on sale, $455 after tax. I really fell for it — the denim-like color and styling grabbed a hold of me. The silhouette and thin column of double-breasted buttons look like the men’s regimental coats and pirate costumes of the 18th century. I felt like something more than myself Would someone notice me in it when I walked by? I seized the moment. “I’ll buy it.”


The store is having a 20 to 30% sale this weekend and worth a walk through its three floors of coats. It’s not a warehouse kind of store, every coat has a personality. In the picture Claudia is wearing a belted rabbit-trimmed down-filled coat. This Steve by Searle all-weather coat is water repellent and machine washable (the collar is detachable). More all-weather pillow coats are available from Postcard, price in the 200s to over a thousand for coats with fox, rabbit or raccoon trim. I also found exceptional shearlings and wools, leather jackets, hats and scarves. They also carry sportswear, dresses and shoes, but that’s for another day.


A snug fit

After writing this piece, I tried on the coat again and it was tight in the shoulders and chest. Why hadn’t I noticed this before? I was so taken with the coat when I tried it on in the store, I didn’t stop to think about wearing it with a sweater. And the sleeves are thin, something else I hadn’t noticed because the material, Ultra Thin Seal (whatever that is), looks and feels like a down coat. And the receipt said ‘final sale’. I wish I hadn’t been so quick. It’s a denim thing with me: when I see something unusual inspired by blue jeans, I get a crush and want it. Was I stuck with a vanity coat that was too small and wouldn’t keep me warm? I called the store and they said, yes, they had the next size up at their branch on Third Avenue and 62nd Street, but they couldn’t hold it forever. Of course, I didn’t expect them to. Afraid that the coat might be sold tonight to another woman tonight who would love it as much as I do, I hurried out the door and took the F train up from the West Village. I had a ticket that night to a BJ Thomas concert and hoped I wouldn’t be late. He’s one of my favorite singers and he never plays New York. It might be the only time I’d get to see him. When I got to the store thirty minutes later it was busy, with a line at the register and shoppers in the shoe department, but a hostess pointed out the coat waiting for me on the rack and I was glad it hadn’t been sold. It fit perfectly, and there was room enough for a sweater. I made it home in little over an hour, a half hour before the concert began. On my ten-block walk down Seventh Avenue to City Winery in a cold wind the coat was warm, even though it wasn’t down, and I felt good. It was fun walking past the glittering cafes in my new coat. I wonder if anyone noticed? Would I meet new and exciting people? As kooky dreams of me in my coat played out in my head I wished I’d bought a hat. A coat without a hat just isn’t enough to keep out the cold. I tried not to think about it as I realized that all my scarves at home were the wrong color and so were my gloves. Why is it impossible to buy one thing in New York without having to buy something to go with it? When I left the house today I hadn’t planned on buying a coat but I’d gone and done it. I hoped they didn’t have a minimum at the club. But I shouldn’t have been thinking about clothes at that moment. Was I wearing them or were they wearing me? The best part of my day was yet to come. I was off to see my favorite singer for the first time, so I let his baritone in a Texan accent play in my head, a nice guy singing, “… nothin’s worryin’ me.”

Searle, 1124 Madison Avenue at 84th Street, 212-988-7318

Debbie’s coat is made by Creenstone, http://www.creenstone.com/.

Post: Nov. 26, 2010