Foreign items in a former coat I threw out (7)
I believe the answer is:
exotica
'foreign items' is the definition.
'exotica' can be an answer for 'items' (I have seen 'Unusual items ' mean 'exotica' so perhaps 'items' could also mean 'exotica'). I'm not sure about the 'foreign' bit.
'former coat i threw out' is the wordplay.
'former' becomes 'ex' (prefix meaning former or onetime).
'threw out' indicates anagramming the letters (I've seen 'throws out' mean this).
'coat'+'i'='coati'
'coati' anagrammed gives 'otica'.
'ex'+'otica'='EXOTICA'
'in a' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for exotica that I've seen before include "Strangely foreign objects" , "Strange or rare objects, often collected" , "Outlandish items" , "Objects from afar" , "Unusual foreign objects" .)