I was a child of rock ‘n roll, and whenever I came home from college I headed straight to San Francisco for a double dose of music and fashion. No, it wasn’t the hippie fashion of the day that excited me. It was the clothes those English bands wore, the European blend of street flash combined with the gender-bending style of Bowie, Jagger, Brian Jones and the like. Hendix picked up on it and it served him well. I figured I could pick up on it too….

I was a child of rock 'n roll

 

So when my dad wanted to get me a little something to mark some holiday or birthday I knew right where to take him. Upper Grant Street in those days was alternative shopping heaven, eclectic stores filled with the trendiest European rags unlike anything you’d ever see at Macy’s. It wasn’t long before I found the perfect accessory – a full length, sheepskin coat hand embroidered with some sort of Far Eastern mystical designs. Just the thing to complete my concert wardrobe!

 

After getting it home and hanging it in a closet for a few days, I took it out for a trial run only to discover a most obnoxious smell permeating from it. When I called the store, they explained that the hides used to make these coats were cured in sheep urine. They advised me to hang it outside for a few days and promised the smell would dissipate over time. I honestly don’t remember how long I hung onto it, or even if I ever wore it. All I remember is that afternoon shopping with my dad and his indulgence in my rock ‘n roll folly.