A-ha! I finally figured out what the heck this “snake legend” is that Max and Mia have been on about. *shudder* I like this bit:

Key to understanding the legend is appreciating that the fatal coat is never purchased from an upscale shop. The common perception of discount stores’ trading off quality for price enters into this legend, as does an element of the overly frugal shopper getting her just deserts. Had she only been willing to pay retail, we nod sagely to ourselves, she’d have lived.

Just for the record, even though this thing is totally false, my new coat came from one of the most reputable shops in Sydney. 🙂