Happy Autumn and Unhappy Polar Fleece

It’s the first day of Autumn and things are getting slightly crispy in Hobart.  After our heat wave weekend where we were the hottest state in Australia I am dying to pull on wintery layers. This in turn has made me think about how ugly and dull winter fashions can be in Hobart.

The shops that abound in our sweet city are camping shops. There are so many scattered through town and Salamanca Place and they all seem to thrive.  That says a lot of good things about Tasmanians – we’re healthy outdoorsy nature lovers (that’s the fantasy anyway).  It also points to a big ugly problem: excessive use of POLAR FLEECE.  A typical Salamanca market Saturday will display a vast array of polar fleece vests, tops and hats.  For some reason all the polar fleece colours seem to melt into one disgusting maroon. 

Part of me (the mum part) understands polar fleece because it washes well and dries almost instantly. Cheap polar fleece seems to attract lint and piling straight away.  But I ask you, what is the point of an unzipped sleeveless polar fleece vest?  In the words of Katy Perry, "You're hot and you're cold, you're yes then you're no..." In other words, that sleeveless polar fleece vest is doing NOTHING.

Humans have done a much better job of staying warm before fleecies existed. Why are we regressing??  Wool, fur and layers of cotton have done us proud for a very long time.  I’m not suggesting we need to buy a mink this season (that’s Anna Wintor’s job). The thought of cruelly farmed animals providing no meat, just fur, seems senseless and vulgar.  I’m all for the fakes in that regard.  And vintage furs can be justified in my mind – those horses have well and truly bolted (well, probably the kangaroos or possums, not horses).

Last year I cut up one of my little Nan’s stoles to trim a khaki cape from Sportsgirl.  Some of the old lining fell away from the back, revealing that the stole had been constructed from cutting room floor scraps.  Hundreds of tiny 1cm pieces of fur were perfectly stitched together to produce what looks like a seamless fur.  Bless my little Nan and her low budget glamour.  I wish I’d kept all of her plastic beads…

Now, we don’t have a European winter in Tassie.  It’s miserable, but it’s not frozen solid.  Miss Watts was down here for her whistle-stop visit before going back to Paris, packing up house and moving to London, so she really needed a decent coat. She found one here - brown, knee length for $50 at my favourite antiques warehouse in Warwick Street. The coat is little shabby and sheds a bit, but the shabbiness is nice because it makes one aware that Miss Watts did not sanction the kill.  Maybe it was road kill anyway. We call it Kanga.

With her Sartorialist eye, Miss Watts has put two coats together - the fur and a raincoat shell - keeping out the bad weather and bad styles that tend to crop up in winter.  No polar fleece required.

Matt Coyle Clothes update: Fed Ex parcel from Spoonflower is on its way with new fabric and prints. More details to come.