It was a vintage Benard Holtzman overcoat, green and well made. I found it in the discarded donations of an estate sale in the original Northwoods neighborhood of Baltimore when I rented a shack there a few years ago. The coat was warm and served me many a winter's walk to work down the hill into Charles Village. I wore it faithfully for three years, until an accident led to a pet ray named Piper chewing off the bottom of a sleeve. The coat was placed on a wooden hanger and relegated to the back of the closet...
Benard Holtzman was a designer prominent in the 1980s who designed and tailored glamorous coats for women under the label Hervé Benard. They are quality pieces that can last a lifetime if properly cared for. Which is why I decided to find a way to restore this coat this winter! As the days got colder and winder, I decided to take it out of the back of the wardrobe and give it a makeover...
I researched vintage coats from the 1940s and decided that brown fur sleeves would look very nice and cover of the tatters. My mother sent me a piece she found at a thrift store that worked perfectly. I cut the piece in half and folded each half into a quarter over the original sleeves. Then, using very strong brown thread I sewed the fut pieces to the original coat sleeves just above the tatters. Finally, I sewed the ends up and the new coat was created! Now I'll be on thelookout for a matching fur collar when I hit the secondhand shops!
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