Enter Burberry, the iconic brand known for its timeless trenches and coats. Any retail-priced purchase comes with complimentary alterations done by their nimble tailors, so it's basically like getting a coat custom-fitted. Granted, pricing is steep, but for those who can afford it, it is well worth the occasional splurge. Also, be sure to sign-up for their seasonal in-store sale mailing list.
Here is my first Burberry purchase from 2006, back when I thought children's coats were my only choice. Let me just say, what a long way I've come since then! This is a kids coat, in a little girls size 12, purchased from eBay UK (photo courtesy of another eBay seller since I cannot find a pic of mine pre-alterations). Note the proportions designed obviously for children:1. wide arms
2. small chest with roomy waist/hip area
3. short and stout overall
But the texture was rich, the colors were girly, and the lining was TDF, so I saw potential.
I took this coat to a Burberry retail store, and had the sleeves and torso area slimmed. End result:
Just look at this lining! Gorgeous roses with little "Burberry"s scripted in periwinkle:
Buying on eBay can be tricky, especially since there are usually no returns. I suggest always asking the seller for detailed measurements and comparing to your own items before buying. For this coat, I made sure that 1. the shoulders were the right width (shoulder alterations are $$$ and difficult), and 2. the sleeves were long enough since this was a kid's coat.
Alas, after I started working I ended up reselling this coat to a fellow petite. Since then I have graduated to adult sizing (more Burb posts to come), but frequently think back to this first Burberry and pray that it went to a good home!
