This Russian Proverb was quoted by Pushkin in the novel "The Daughter of the Commandant":
My parents gave me their blessing, and my father said to me—
"Good-bye, Petr'; serve faithfully he to whom you have sworn fidelity; obey your superiors; do not seek for favours; do not struggle after active service, but do not refuse it either, and remember the
proverb, 'Take care of your coat while it is new, and of your honour while it is young.'"
My mother tearfully begged me not to neglect my health.
