I know what you're are thinking ... enough coats, already! But I actually don't have a coat "casual" enough which I could wear in blizzard conditions or spill hot chocolate on without freaking out over. I was previously impressed by the fit of XXS sweaters by American Eagle Outfitters, and wanted to give their moderately-priced coats a shot, too. I was specifically looking for a hooded coat, which left me to choose between nylon puffer coats and this:
AE Duffle Coat, $149.50 $119.95
Although this coat is not belted (a feature that is typically pretty key for petites), the silhouette looked slimming enough that I thought it might work. I also liked the nifty detachable hood feature, for days which I may not be feelin the hood.
Click Read More to see "modeling" pics and the verdict.
When I opened up the box, the poor coat was so crumpled it looked like someone just shoved it in. After hanging for a few days and steaming, it doesn't look much better...perhaps indicative of the material quality? Tag reads 55% wool, 30% polyester, and 15% rayon, making it comprable to H&M coats which are sold at roughly the same price point. As for warmth, this coat is fully lined in a plaid cotton blend material. I would say it ranks between medium to very warm.
H&M leggings in kids size 12/13yr. Aldo nude pumps.
Next, the fit. Oh - the disappointment! The AE XXS sweaters from this previous post were very tight on me, so I was almost certain that this coat would fit. Incorrect. First off, the super long sleeve syndrome was immediately noticeable. For sweaters, this can be temporarily resolved by folding the sleeves up. On a jacket, however, the only fix would be paying for alterations. The jacket is lined, plus there are little tab details on each sleeve which need to be moved up several inches, so I can see alterations easily being $50 or so.
The bagginess of the torso also did not do me any favors. An unbelted coat needs to be more slimming along the torso and at the waist to compensate for the lack of a waist-cincher. Unfortunately, I could grab a handful of material from each side of this jacket from the waist down to the hips. Just look at that above photo to the left...hard to believe I am wearing only
a t-shirt and a small scarf underneath. My boyfriend gleefully commented on how puffy I looked.
Lastly, the details. The anchor buttons looked adorable online, but in person they were too pastic-y for my liking (buttons are very important to me!). I also thought the plaid print was just off. The print of the lining is not nearly as vibrant in person, and it made the coat seem cheaper than it was. I think a wider check pattern with less busy lines and a better choice of colors would have made quite a difference. Oh well!
Final verdict: Return. I am sure this coat will go on further sale as it's still available online in every size. And even if it goes on sale, at the $75 to $100ish price point I would personally rather stick to H&M coats in size 2. However, although this coat did not work for me, it may be more flattering on someone one size up with longer arms. In the future I may also give A&F coats a try, as I remember their size XS being quite fitted.
