Internet Backs Student Whose Best Friend 'Borrowed' and Lost Her $1,700 Coat in Viral Post

An 18-year-old college student sought advice on Reddit after her close friend took—and lost—her pricey winter coat. The incident is threatening their friendship as the Redditor asked her friend to replace the cost of the $1,700 jacket, but the friend argued that she can't afford it.

The post has gone viral since being shared on Wednesday, generating 12,600 upvotes and 1,700 comments.

Moncler jackets are notoriously expensive. At the time of writing, for example, the cheapest item of women's outerwear on the brand's website is a $750 down quilted vest. On the higher end, however, prices for a long coat can surpass $6,000.

The appeal of these types of coats, for many, is that they are a major investment that can be worn for years to come. The anonymous Redditor, known only as u/abbline, said she was only enjoyed her jacket for a few months before it went missing.

She explained that her best friend, another 18-year-old, "was in [her] dorm room because [she] was hosting [their] study group."

"Afterward, she was going to a party and was in a tiny dress, so she asked if she could borrow my coat since it's freezing out," she wrote. "I said sure, she can take the purple one on my bed." Her friend, however, didn't take the purple jacket.

"She told me the next day that she was sorry and she'd lost my coat at the party," explained u/abbline. "And she hadn't taken the purple one. She had taken the black one on my bed since it looked warmer."

"The coat she lost was a Moncler, and I never would've let her take it," she continued. "I told her she could take my purple coat, which is the coat I take to parties since I'm not worried about it getting lost or stolen."

The Redditor added that she was "really upset" by the incident and has asked her friend to repay the cost of the jacket. The friend reportedly agreed—that is, until she learned how expensive the coat truly was.

"Then she got upset saying she could never come up with the money," she wrote. "I said that's not my fault since she shouldn't have taken it, and she became hysterical when I said I want all the money paid back."

In the comments section, u/abbline added more details, including that the coat cost $1,700 pre-tax. Moreover, the jacket "was basically new": it was given to her by her parents as a birthday gift earlier this fall.

Commenters were quick to weigh in on the saga, with most backing the Redditor—especially because she explicitly instructed her friend to borrow a different coat. Many more were also stunned by the jacket's high price point.

"She purposely took the wrong coat and lost it. She is definitely responsible for replacing it," commented u/NUT-me-SHELL.

"NTA but holy f*** that coat is expensive. I can see both why you wouldn't take it to parties and why it was stolen. The giant mistake she made was taking something other than what you agreed to," wrote u/tropicaldiver. "It is up to you whether you cut her a break."

Others theorized that the friend actually took the Redditor's Moncler jacket intentionally, precisely because of its high price point.

"The lack of accountability is baffling. The friend hasn't offered to make this right, so it feels very shady," commented u/Electrical-Date-3951. "She [didn't] have permission to take the coat, so she stole it. And, I [wouldn't] be surprised if she knew that it was a more expensive coat."

Newsweek has reached out to u/abbline for additional comment.