Consumerwise ShopGirl sets something aside for rainy day

Editor’s note: Due to illness, ShopGirl was on hiatus for a few weeks. She is now back to her regularly scheduled, twice-monthly columns. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

A couple of months ago, I threw out my trusty old raincoat.

It needed to go. I bought it my sophomore year in college. Hunter green was the hot color that fall.

As I held the coat over the trash can, I realized it looked more like a garbage bag than a suitable piece of outerwear, and it was too dirty to donate, so I stuffed it in and never looked back.

It was a fashion victory. Of course, I now need a replacement, because if there’s one essential spring wardrobe piece in Maine, it’s the raincoat. I thought the light-blue waterproof peacoat I bought last year would do the trick, but the more I wear it, the more I think I look like a dentist in training. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not, in the words of “Seinfeld,” an anti-dentite. I just want something a little less clinical.

So far, I’ve found a few promising leads.

The Gap has two stylish-yet-classic coats that could do the trick. There’s the standard peacoat, made of cotton twill. It would look good, but it would fail the horizontal rainstorm test. Then there’s the macintosh, a waterproof, knee-length model that comes in (you guessed it) khaki, black and off-white.

I checked out the trench at American Eagle Outfitters, but it had so many buttons that it resembled something out of “Inspector Gadget.”

There’s something to be said for the traditional yellow raincoat. It never goes out of style. It will certainly keep the elements at bay. And they’re so cute – especially the one at Eddie Bauer ($59.99). Perfect for jeans, but I need something a little dressier.

I heard reports that T.J. Maxx ‘n More had hot pink Calvin Klein trench coats in the $40 range, but when I got there, they were gone. At that price, why wouldn’t they be? I did find a Nine West jacket that resembled the “mac,” in the same shade as my peacoat, and a sage-green version by Gallery, and a retro-prep Polo windbreaker in lemon yellow, but I resisted.

Later that evening, a friend showed up wearing a very sharp, sand-colored peacoat from Old Navy. She got it for under $20 at an outlet near her hometown in Virginia. I never find anything on the Old Navy clearance rack, except for strappy halter tops that require a degree in engineering to put on. I went to OldNavy.com and found a snappy red trench for $39.50.

It had sweet floral piping inside, a detail not usually found in this price range. And it matched my rain hat (Yes, I have a rain hat. Actually I have two. They’re a holdover from my big hair days, when a walk in the rain meant certain death to my coif.) But the best part about the trench? It was the furthest thing from a lab coat. Fabulous.

Shop Notes

. The Grasshopper Shop’s ever-popular housewares sale is going on now. Through the end of April, all home goods are 25 percent off.

. Vintage Threads in Bangor will celebrate its grand re-opening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. The shop, located at 130 Hammond St., is owned by Trudy Darling and Susan Chase, who specialize in transforming vintage garments into modern, wearable pieces. For information, call 992-2677 or visit www.vintagethreads.us.

. Anne Hathaway of Orono sent a letter to inform ShopGirl readers about the annual sale at the Church of Universal Fellowship on Main Street in Orono. “This is a great deal,” she wrote. It will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 28, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 29. The sale includes secondhand clothing, household items, shoes, toys, odds and ends and a white elephant table. For information, call 866-3655. Visitors are asked to use the side entrance to the church, on Juniper Street.

. Looking for style and value? Check out the new Budget Living magazine. Despite its completely un-hip title, the mag has quite a bit of panache – I especially love the vintage clothing article (all bought at a Salvation Army shop in Manhattan, and combined with everyday clothes from the Gap or Banana Republic) and the piece on super-sleek furnishings, most of which cost under $100. Best of all, it proves what most of us have known for a long time – you don’t have to sacrifice style for price.

ShopGirl would love to hear from you. Send questions, comments or suggestions by mail to: Kristen Andresen, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329; by e-mail to kandresen@bangordailynews.net or by fax to 941-9476.