Coats-How to get a Second Hand Coat and What to Look Out For

Wow, I could find camel hair colored coats and trench coats a dime a dozen or almost.
Perhaps $5.00 for a coat at Salvation Army. I love doing this now.

When I see a style in New York or the most famous designer sites, I get a kick out of going to the stores and trying to find replicas.

This past week-end I could have walked away with two trench coats, two camel hair colored long midi coats and a camel short blazer type jacket.

Dry cleaning a wool coat is around $20.00 but worth it if there are no moth holes in the wool.

1. Check the wool for holes
2. Check the lining in the coat if it is pulling away at the stitches from the out
shell of the coat
3. Is the coat faded in the lining
4. Is the coat faded in the wool itself
5. Does the coat smell like smoke, moth balls or pets

You may be handy with a needle and can tack the lining. Sometimes a coat just needs freshing up and can be hung up on the clothes line and sprayed with fabric Fabreze.
If the coat is severely wrinkled, put on your shower with the hotest water possible, hang coat in the bathroom. Check the coat often though so as the wool will not get too much moisture and do any shrinking.

You can buy a vintage coat that maybe you just don't like it being long down near the ankles (used to call them maxi's in the 60's and 70's) You hate the buttons too?! Cut the coat down, hem it, and cut off those buttons and change them. You may even find a coat that you like the buttons and can buy for cheaper than going to JoeAnne's to buy buttons.

The buttons you cut off, keep and later make a button bracelet. It will match the coat you are wearing and add a bit of pulling the colors together.

I was pricing dye the other day in Walmart. Dye costs $3.99 so if the camel color is not your thing, buy brown dye and give it a try. Remember, you are not paying thousands of dollars for this coat so give it a try. You will learn alot doing it and you have a conversation piece with friends.