old is new again

The scene: my classroom, students exiting.

Young, hip college student: "OMG, professor, I love your jacket. Where'd you get it?"

Me: [thinking: it was a gift from my mother before I was even dating my husband of 20 years, from J.C. Penney, so where is Colorado but when is the late 90s. But aloud:] "It's older than you are, I'm afraid..." 

Student looks shocked. I am not sure if that is because the nineties are, to her, too distant a past to imagine, or that the idea of a jacket worn by her professor being older than her is just weird. Or both. Student, bemused, exits the classroom. 

Second student, on her way out the door: "OMG, professor, I love that jacket!"

Me: "Thank you!"

At least she didn't ask me where and when it came from.

The jacket, for the record: a boxy black suede (washable, ffs) St. John's Bay blazer with--rare for the era--deep, practical pockets. It was very good (in the day) for adding a layer between me and the Colorado wind when I was stupidly underdressed beneath it, wearing some crop-top tank or whatever I thought was cool, even when it was clearly weather-inappropriate.

The lesson: don't bin your favorite old jackets because they seem hopelessly out of fashion. Just wait.