Blogger’s First Leather Jacket

by AlterationsNeeded on November 16, 2011

June leather jacket, size xs (same brand) :: Theory sweater, size xs :: Paige Verdugo jeggings, size 24 (cool color) :: Christian Louboutin Simple 85 pumps :: Iridesse pearl necklace

Look! I found fall in SoCal! Never mind that it was in the 70′s earlier today.

This leather jacket is a Nordstrom Rack find from about a month ago, but thanks to the stubborn SoCal weather refusing to dip below 70, my dress form has been wearing it instead of me. The evenings have been cool, so I thought I’d finally pull her out for her first photo shoot, which was sadly cut short by the prying eyes of nosy neighbors. I freak when people catch me taking photos with a tripod and remote…so I high-tailed it outta there quickly, and without many good photos. *sigh*

This jacket was one of those things that I wasn’t looking for, but when I stumbled upon it, I couldn’t put it down. The leather is soft, the sleeves are nice and slim, and when zipped up, it fits snuggly over a thin sweater…perfect for SoCal falls and winters. Plus, it was a total steal at about 80% off retail. Gotta love The Rack!

I didn’t think I was a leather jacket person, and was fully expecting to get it home, mull it over, and decide it wasn’t me. Oddly enough, I’m really liking it! Especially since it seems to be the only garment in my closet that Clinton’s blond fur doesn’t stick to (The lint brushes in my house are multiplying like crazy).

Fun Fact: the pearl necklace I’m wearing is 80 inches! That’s over a foot and a half longer than I am tall!

So…let’s talk leather! Given the expense and difficulty of altering leather, it can be difficult to find petite friendly versions that don’t need extensive surgery. This brand (June) is one I had never heard of before, but given it’s petite-friendly fit, is worth mentioning. Especially since there’s a chance you could run across it at discount stores like Nordstrom Rack! The other leather jacket brand of note is Danier, which I’ve never tried on, but Jessy looks amazing in their super tiny size xxxs. I’ve also been told Mackage runs small, but have never seen one in real life to try on.

Leather jacket lovers…what are your petite-friendly go-to brands?

Tagged as: June, Leather Jacket, Petite Coats and Jackets

http://www.thelittledustprincess.com/ Jessy

I loveeee this on you. The zipper and collar sort of looks like the one on mine! (Thanks for the shout btw) : ) Can’t believe it’s your first leather jacket LOL! How are you standing in the soil with heels on? Brave girl. :P

http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

Thanks Jessy! I love your Danier jacket too! Very similar style in deed. I was reluctant to step into the dirt in the Loubies, but you only live once, right? Throw caution to the wind! =)

http://afashiondeliberation.blogspot.com Cher

Danier is so ridiculously small sometimes. The last time I tried on a XXXS a few months ago and it was SO tiny I almost couldn’t zip it up! You can get them so cheap sometimes though. Everything goes on sale and I’ve seen jackets as low as $80. The leather isn’t as soft and supple as brands like Mackage, but they do have great styles every season. I love that jacket you found! I need to look more carefully at my Rack, I never look in the coat section.

http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

Really…hmm…now I’m even more curious to try Danier! Do any department stores that you know of stock them? Yes! Dig carefully at your local Rack! I’ve found some gems lately, including the Paige Jeggings, and I *almost* got my hands on a Helmut Lang jacket for super cheap on clearance. Gotta love the Rack!

http://afashiondeliberation.blogspot.com Cher

As far as I know they only sell them in their own B&M stores which are pretty much found in all of the large (and some not-so-large) malls in Canada and have several outlets. If you ever make a trip up north, you should make it a point to find a Danier!

http://afashiondeliberation.blogspot.com Cher

As far as I know they only sell them in their own B&M stores which are pretty much found in all of the large (and some not-so-large) malls in Canada and have several outlets. If you ever make a trip up north, you should make it a point to find a Danier!

http://thepetitefittingroom.blogspot.com Michelle

Love this! My favorite is the collar! And your pearls are so fun!

I am a little nervous about going into a Nordstrom Rack…there are some strange characters. Is it just a Vegas/Seattle thing, or is your Rack filled with some weirdos?

Lol! Peering neighbors would have me running, too!! :p

Ping just posted her Mackage xs wool coat and it is huge! Maybe their leather jackets are different?
http://allaboutfashionstuff.blogspot.com/2011/11/mackage-ashley-rib-trim-wool-coat.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FvqQvo+%28All+About+Fashion+Stuff%29

http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

LOL! I’ve never run into strange characters at Nordstrom Rack, but maybe the SoCal ones just attract a different demographic. Wow, thanks for the link to Ping’s post! I hadn’t seen it yet. That coat is pretty big, which is sad because all I keep hearing is about how small that brand runs! Hmmm…

http://www.extrapetite.com/ PetiteAsianGirl

I absolutely love this jacket on you. It’s perfect with the olive jeggings and even juxtaposed against more classic pearls. So despite the pesky neighbors, you did manage to get some shots in! Are you in some nature reserve? Or your backyard?

http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

Thanks Jean! I thought the pearls were a good idea, but after editing photos, I’m wishing I went a little lighter with the necklace. Oh well…next time. LOL @ nature reserve. No, no…that’s our “beer garden”! Our landlord LOVES gardening, so we get the added benefit of a very scenic yard & garden…as long as I can escape the prying eyes of the neighbor folk. =)

Rites of Beauty Blogger

Great jacket. I bought a bod & christensen jacket this year from Winners (like TJ Maxx) so I could wear it into the summer. Unfortunately, it’s gone into storage now. Looks like you’ll be able to get great wear out of yours.

http://ritesofbeauty.blogspot.com

http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

Oh…I’ve never heard of Bod & Christensen. Is that a Canadian brand?

egged

I’m not a tiny petite (2p in Ann Taylor, mostly due to slightly broad shoulders and a D-cup bra) but I found a leather jacket at Loft last year that fits really well, even in the sleeves, which are my usual problem. The leather was buttery-soft and it was this unusual grey-green color. I’ve also lucked out at thrift stores: I got an amazing burgundy leather jacket that fit perfectly for less than $50, and my friend (who’s 5’3″ and curvy) scored a vintage leather knee-length cognac trench for $25. I guess women had shorter arms back then? :-)

http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

Wow! I don’t remember seeing a leather jacket at LOFT! Good deal!

And I’m not surprised the vintage jackets fit you so well! Women were certainly smaller just a few decades ago. I’m also wondering if you’ve been lucky enough to find all the jackets at thrift stores previously owned by petites, who have already hemmed the sleeves perfectly for you. =)

http://twitter.com/couturecoco5 Couture Coco

Kelly, I love that jacket on you! And at such a great discount too, well spotted. It’s funny because I’m exploring leather jackets too (post scheduled for today) in an effort to diversify my classic closet.
I have 2 by Jesire which I don’t think is available in USA and one by Celine which is really different for me.

http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

Celine sounds devine! Can’t wait to see it!

http://profiles.google.com/petitelg Petite LG

I don’t think I am a leather jacket person, either but I might give it a try after seeing this on you. I live no where near the stores that you’ve mentioned. The chance of finding a tiny leather jacket is slim for me. Great find, Kelly! I know how you feel about nosy neighbors. I stopped taking pictures in front of my house because of the very same reason =)
http://www.jovialjacki.com jovialjacki

Love it! I’ve lusted over leather jackets for years, but never owned one either. Maybe this is the year?
http://curlsnpearls.com Christina

Very cute!
Thervan

That jacket looks great!! I recommend Danier. I’m about the same size as you and i wear their xxxs and it fits great. I had the sleeve hemmed though which is $25 through their hemming service but worth it.
http://pocketsizedfashion.blogspot.com JJ

Love the fur collar! It adds a little something so that this isn’t your standard leather jacket. I’m definitely going to scour Nordstrom Rack to see if I can score one of these…
Anonymous

Danier for me hands down! Kelly if you ever make it Toronto we must make sure to take a trip to the huge Danier warehouse ;)

I love the look of this on you, how are the sleeves, are they too long on you?

http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

Danier warehouse? Yes please!

The sleeves are a tiny bit long, but folding up the very end of the sleeve works perfect (I ran away from neighbors before I had a chance to take a photo), and I think looks kind of cool. Either I’m kidding myself to avoid having to alter the sleeves, or I’ll realize it looks dumb in a few months and take it to get shortened. I also only trust my Los Angeles tailor to do leather, so I’d wait until I get a chance to see her for the alterations anyway. =P

http://tobrightenmyday.blogspot.com/ Cee

But Kelly… I thought since your run-in with the biking couple (who asked you to take a pic of them), public photoshoots were the norm ;) That’s still the best story, btw. Most people who catch me in the act give me the oddest looks. One time I was outside my apt/condo complex and a guy asked me if I was taking pics to sell my place. Err… awkward.

Leather jacket with pearls? Wouldn’t have thought to do that. Two thumbs up!

http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

Ha! I stammered like an idiot to the biker people trying to come up with a valid excuse for why I was standing around in Manolo Blahniks to “fiddle with my new camera”. There’s just something so narcissistic looking about setting up a tripod and then prancing around in front of it. I guess deep down inside, style blogging requires at least a little bit of narcissism, but I like to hide that deep down inside, like normal people. =P

AUBS*

beautiful picture Kelly. Are you taking these in north county? you must live near some nice landscaping areas. Jacket looks great on you! glad u decided to keep. Many great finds lately @ the rack for you.

http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

Thanks Aubrey! These photos kind of suck because I had planned to fiddle with angles & such…and I would have…if it wasn’t for those pesky neighbors! Next time. I’ve taken all my photos recently on our landlord’s property. She has a really nicely maintained garden that we like to call our “beer garden”. Did you try on those size 25 Paige Jeggings?

Rosy Outlook

I agree with TO Beauty Reviews… Danier all the way! They do excellent alterations and I bought a biker’s jacket last season at a steal price with zippers on the sleeves that only necessitated me unzipping them a bit and making cute cuffs. PS: love the photo… thanks for the inspiration… I am definitely going to wear my (Ross-Simons) genuine pearl rope necklace with my biker jacket, too :)
http://www.thegoreprincess.com Paulina

That jacket looks amazing on you! I definitely agree about taking photos… it’s so awkward when people see you!
http://www.petiteonapenny.com Petite on a Penny

Congrats on the first leather jacket! I think it look stunning on you.
Sacha Ferro-Townsend

Mackage does run small… I have been debating a gorgeous wool/leather winter coat for a couple weeks now! Since I live in Toronto, coats are very important to me (as you can imagine).

Also try Soia & Kyo, the sister-company to Mackage, which also has slightly lower price points. I have three coats from them – a wool, a leather and a trench – and they are great!

Sacha Ferro-Townsend

PS. Your leather looks great!

Bonhomie_1

I LOVE it. Looks great on you. I just had to comment because I picked up a similar jacket in a motorcycle style at Nordstrom Rack last weekend (Chicago) for under $200. They had charcoal grey and dark green leather jackets by Michael Kors that I found to run small. I had to size up from an XS/P to a S/P. Although with the harsh winters here, I won’t be wearing this until the spring time.
http://vickysdailyfashion.blogspot.com/ Vicky

Lucky you, living in such a nice climate. I have used my leather jacket at least 6 times this season as an alternative to my AT trench. It’s COLD here. :(
Loving your leather jacket find.
lol on the fun fact. Can’t believe you made that connection. Too funny.
Anonymous

Oh that’s a beautiful leather jacket. I am searching for one too, but I haven’t found it yet. Hopefully this year.
RD

You are one of the few petite bloggers who really gives helpful hints and real recommendations, some others just prance around in with expensive bags and shoes!! I usually love your posts and your style…but this one looks really overdone….pearls, leather jacket, stripes, the grey of the sweater, the olive of the jeans…it’s all too much. I know many people commented that they liked the pearls with the leather jacket and it could have worked if you kept everything else very simple and basic in one color family.
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