Lady Day Coat, size P0:
Adorable puppy – Clinton the Pomeranian, 5 months old
If this outfit looks familiar, it’s because I took all my J.Crew photos on the same day, with the same boring outfit underneath. =P
When this coat was highlighted on Extra Petite, I had to take advantage of the sale J.Crew had going on and give it a try. I love the look of J.Crew coats, and would love to add a few to my wardrobe. I’ve also come to the realization that I need more casual coats to survive the winter, especially now that I have little Clinton, who needs to be walked, rain or shine, even if it’s unbearably frigid outside. So, I clicked the “Add to Cart” button and hoped for the best.
Sadly, I’m not in love, so this coat will be going back. Here’s why:
1 – I feel it overwhelms my frame, especially in the shoulder. Being petite makes it really easy for clothes to overpower me. This coat widens my shoulder, doesn’t do much to help show my waist, and flares too much at the bottom. I felt a bit like a big green rectangle.
2 – The color is not the most flattering on me. For such an expensive outwear garment that will be worn over clothes and close to my face, I want a color that makes me look and feel fabulous.
Luckily, in Southern California, I don’t have much need for a long coat, so it’s not a total loss.
However, the details are quite nice:
This coat has reinforced buttons, a full lining, button detail sleeve cuff, side pockets, an inside pocket, and nice waist belt detail. The fabric has a waffled texture to it.
If I were to alter this coat, I would want to take in the shoulder and slim the bottom flare, which because of the thick fabric and full lining, would cost quite a bit. Not quite worth it to me to keep, especially in this color.
This coat looked way better on Jean, so it appears it’s just a bit too big for my frame.
Stadium Cloth Peacoat, size P0:
I was much more excited about this coat than the Lady Day. I’m in need of a warm, short coat, that would be much more versatile in the mild Southern California winters.
Once again, I’m not in love with this coat. Here’s why:
1 – This coat is way too thick to wear open, and just swallows me whole. Like the Lady Day, when fully buttoned, this peacoat is too wide and bulky in the shoulder, making me feel like an upside-down triangle.
2 - Sadly, I’m not totally in love with this color either, which is a shame because it was the only color left I was interested in trying.
3 – In a perfect world, the sleeves would be slimmer.
What’s interesting is even though the shoulder is broad, the waist is nicely nipped, and the bottom is nice and slim. If the shoulder were a little slimmer, this would be a really flattering coat!
This coat has reinforced buttons, a full lining, slimming seaming, waist belt detail, and side pockets. The fabric is really thick, and pleasantly soft to the touch. I preferred this fabric over that of the Lady Day coat.
If I were to alter this coat, I would only want to narrow the shoulders. Unfortunately, that is a bit of a costly alteration, and would be tricky with the thick fabric and full lining. Since the color isn’t my favorite, I don’t want to invest the money in this coat.
Verdict - The quality, details, and fabrics of these J.Crew coats have me smitten, but the fit is just not for me. My frame is overwhelmed in these coats, and alterations would be costly. I’d also have to find a color that flatters my skin tone, as neither of these quite did it for me. If J.Crew were to make size p00, I might find a good fit, but until then, I’ll need to find a nice warm coat elsewhere.
Petites even just one size up from me should have good luck with these, which will make me insanely jealous of your adorable coat!
PS…how do you like my new giant photos?
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