The Coat Route by Meg Lukens Noonan

While I don't think of myself as an extravagant person, when I spend, I spend. I managed to shock my seniors when I bought omiyage (souvenirs) on a trip. I like to buy bargains, but I also like to splash out on things I like. Like a piano.

Ok, digressing. Ahem, back to topic. The Coat Route traces the origins of a $50 000 coat (Wait, what kind of dollar? USD? ASD?). If I had that much money, I would have gotten the top-range furisode already for ... Ok, stopping before I get distracted again.

Sorry, when it comes to buying stuff I have a very short attention span. 

Anyway, back to the book. The book looks at the different aspects of a coat, from the lining, to the buttons to sewing it entirely by hand. By the end of the book, I wasn't wondering about the $50 000 price tag, I was wondering why it wasn't higher. This coat was a labour of love. 

I found the book very engrossing and easy to read. Each chapter starts of with the tailor (John H. Cutler) and how he made the coat. The chapter then continues with the author's journey to that particular factory to see how the button/lining/engraving/etc was made. And like the author, I grew to want something that was truly bespoke. Like a nice dress, for formal occasions. 

For the curious, the tailor John H. Cutler has a website. If you're interested in learning more about bespoke, you could click on the link and read his various posts (warning, quite a lot of the latest posts are about the book). 

All in all, an enjoyable and educational read. 

Disclaimer: I got this galley for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.