My First Raincoat Experience

While constructing my website I started thinking back to the first time I wore a vinyl raincoat. I get a warm feeling inside just thinking about it. I had always, since I was a little girl, worn cotton raincoats. My mother wore them, so she bought them for me. I had never really taken notice of other girls or women wearing vinyl raincoats.

When I was 22 and just out of college, I started working for an accounting firm. I was still wearing a brushed cotton trenchcoat at the time. Our firm is heavily involved in charity events, and one wekend, the local Rotary was holding a fair to benefit MS. All the employees were expected to attend and help wherever possible. It was raining cats and dogs, but the fair was indoors. As it turned out, our booth was a pie throw. When I got there, I noticed that my name was on the list for the 11:30 to 12:00 slot. I had never been told in advance that I would be doing a pie throw. Now, don't get me wrong, I had done pie throws before, and I had nothing against them, but had I known in advance, I would have worn an old sweatshirt and jeans. I thought there might be clients to meet there, so I wore a nice yellow silk blouse, a black leather skirt, and the afore mentioned trenchcoat. To make matters worse, I hadn't even tied my hair up. I immediately began looking for my boss!

After all, he had to understand. In case you have never done a pie throw, I should explain that a good amount of the cream comes through the holes and gets on your clothes. On the way to see my boss, my supervisor pulled me aside and asked (with a grin) how I liked the duty sheet. I explained my dilemma to him, but he mentioned to me that even the boss himself had taken the 3:00-3:30 slot, and that it was for a good cause. After that guilt trip, I was lost. I started tabulating in my head the cost of dry cleaning for my trenchcoat versus the cost of cleaning my silk blouse. I had decided to go with the blouse, since I could later cover it up with the coat and not look ridiculous all day.

As I was walking over to the booth, my secretary, and closest friend, Sandy, stopped me. She said something like, 'You're not going to wear that silk blouse in a pie throw!?! You'll ruin it!' As I filled her in, she began taking off her vinyl raincoat. She reached across, took my trenchcoat, put it on and asked 'how do I look?' As I answered 'fine, but...' I noticed that she was smiling. She had solved my problem. I slipped into the warm (she had been wearing it) coat and, for the first time in my life, I noticed the crackle of the vinyl as I pushed my arm through the hole. The coat was powder pink, short length, smooth and shiny vinyl, with buckle clasps, a storm flap, shoulder epaulets, a belt, and snap closed straps at the wrists. I began to buckle up the clasps and I felt a kind of electricity which I had never felt before run through my body. I fumbled a bit with the first, but Sandy deftly slipped the metal piece through the hole on the other side and clicked it back into the closed position. My heart leaped. I finished buckling up all the clasps, even the double clasp at the top as Sandy took the tie out of her hair and began pulling mine up behind my head. Once that was done, she took her matching vinyl rain hat off her head and placed it on mine, carefully tucking as much of my hair as possible under the brim. She stood back, smiled, and said you're ready. I took out my compact mirror and looked at myself. At first I felt a bit self conscious, but that was soon replaced by a kind of sexy feeling.

I was ready for the booth. I stepped up to the hole and looked at a coworker who was a mess. He wished me luck, commented on my intelligence in coming prepared ( I didn't have the heart to tell him my story), and it was my turn. I placed my face through the hole (my hat fit as well) and the first customer stepped up. He took the pie in his right hand, leaned back a bit, and flung it. The intervening moment lasted 10 seconds in my mind. I watched the pie arc through the air, I closed my eyes and braced for the hit, and felt a thump just above my head. Then I felt a glop of whipped cream land on my hat. Although I was relieved, I had never felt a charge like that in my life! Next, a lady paid her dollar, took aim and fired. Again a miss. I thought about heckling the crowd, but I was still too shy. The next person on the line was Sandy. Surely my best friend would not seek to throw a pie in my face!?! Well, I decided that I would have probably done the same, so I smiled and she threw, and of course, SPLAT, right in the center of my face! The crowd cheered, I felt a but humiliated, but I also had the irresistible urge to laugh.

I spent my half hour alternating between hits and misses, and I had the time of my life. When I was done, I noticed that Sandy had really saved my clothes with her raincoat. I supposed I could forgive her for the pie in the face. When I caught up with her after my pieing, I started taking her coat off, when she said, 'I'm not wearing a coat covered with whipped cream all day!' She laughed and said, 'you can give it back to me Monday.' I went to the bathroom to clean up, and I didn't even feel self conscious about the stares I got on the way to wash. The upside of the story is that I got several clients that day. Most told me that they admired my stepping in for charity, and many also told me that they thought I looked great (I wore the raincoat and hat all day).

Later that day, I went shopping. I bought a black vinyl, double breasted, > length trenchcoat, a red vinyl short trenchcoat, a long yellow slicker, and four rain hats. I still treasure them to this day. I have never gone back to the dull cotton trenchcoat (though it still hangs in my closet). I have done many pie throws, wet sponge throws, and even the dunk tank while wearing my vinyl raincoats. I look forward to rainy days and charity events all because Sandy was kind enough to lend me her raincoat on that messy day.

Yours truly,
Raincoatgirl