Help me Pick a Coat

Once again dear readers I come to you for assistance. This time I want your input on a new down coat.

Now lets get a few things straight. I know that none of these coats are exactly "fashionable." In an ideal world I wouldn't need to own a down coat, but I live in New York and it gets cold and I'm outdoors an awful lot. In fact in every NY woman's closet there hangs a long, black, puffy down coat. Seriously I think it's the law or something. There's one in mine and it has been there since 2003 when I walked into Macy's one freezing evening and asked for the warmest coat they had. The coat is still serviceable and keeps me toasty warm but it weighs an absolute ton and well...after 7 years I'm sick of it. I figure I'm allowed to buy a new down coat every 7 years or so.

Last weekend my best friend was in town and we went on the hunt for a down coat. Luckily she and I could have fun doing anything, absolutely anywhere because we spent the afternoon in EMS, Patagonia and North Face - not exactly the shops I like to spend my time or money in.

You know how most women have to do the "breast test" when trying on an article of clothing - the test to see if it buttons past your chest. Well my version of that is the ass test - does something fit around my hips and ass. Too often as we discovered the answer was no, it does not. Ideally I wanted a coat that hit my knees but these stores only carried straight sizes - none of which were going to zip over my ass.

I had asked friends for recommendations on Facebook with the stipulation that I wanted something warm and light and numerous friends recommended this Patagonia coat. It was the one coat that I seriously considered purchasing as it was warm and weighed nothing and I was taken with the lime green, but with my penchant for dresses and leggings I really wanted some protection for my legs. My besties suggestion that I purchase said coat and just wear long underwear resulted in an eye roll.

So after an unsuccessful day of shopping, off I went to the internet and ended up at Land's End. They were having a massive sale, they carried lots of long coats and they had plus sizes - the holy trinity! I had no idea how things were going to fit and so I ordered 3 different coats in a variety of sizes. It was a good thing as they all fit very differently and the one I like best is the one I almost didn't even order.

So in order from favorite to least favorite I present you with my 3 coats and ask for your advice as to which I should make room for in my overcrowded closet.

Option 1

This is the Morgan and I ordered it in a 1x only because they didn't have a 2x, which is a good thing since the 1x fits pretty perfectly. The photos on the website made the coat look awfully shiny and I was worried I'd look like Missy Elliot, during the garbage bag phase but it's waaay less shiny in real life than on the website or in this photo.

Option 2

This is the best-selling (and not on sale) Dory which comes in a wide variety of colors of which I {gasp} didn't order the brightest one. I ordered a 2x, which due to the cut is actually tighter around my bottom than Option 1. Folks in my office were of a mixed opinions between 1 and 2.

Option 3

This is the Reversible Quilted Down and it is just a fail in every imaginable way. I ordered a 2x which is absolutely swimming on me, but I don't think that even if it fit properly I would like it. It's just a bit blah, even for a down coat.

So, vote in the comments below. I'm heavily leaning towards option 1, but would love to hear what you have to say.

Oh and finally, look how small they made those coats for shipping. I'm in awe.

I'm not afraid to say I'm wearing a poncho

I have been dying for a new fall coat. My old one is a gorgeous purple tweed that I got at the Barney's Warehouse sale a few years ago which sadly doesn't fit me anymore and so one of the few things that I thought I really needed this year as opposed to just wanted/lusted after/impulse purchased was a new fall coat.

I live in New York so my coat gets a lot of use. I'm not just walking from the house to my car and then into my office. My coat needs to keep me warm as I walk 4 avenues to the subway in the morning and walk around town running errands or the 20 blocks to meet a friend for brunch. On top of all that, it needs to look good, preferably fabulous, at the same time. My coat doesn't get hidden in the car, it's as much a part of my outfit in New York as what I have on underneath.

Like many great wardrobe staples that come into our life serendipitously I wasn't looking for a fall coat the day I found mine. I was at Atlantic Antic, an enormous Brooklyn street fair on a gorgeous Indian summer day, when the last thing on my mind was any sort of coat and all I could focus on was flirting with the cute baker boy and booing Mike Bloomberg whenever I saw him.

I was walking with my friend Mirka when we stumbled upon Michelle, the woman who made her wedding dress who owns both a boutique and bridal shop on Atlantic Avenue. As the two of them caught up on how the dress fared at her wedding (beautifully I might add) I began to browse and I came upon a few ponchos. Naah I thought...a poncho? But the ever ebullient Michelle convinced me to try it on even though I was in a sundress, sipping a beer and couldn't imagine ever needing to wear a coat I let her convince me to give it a go.

I slipped it on and low and behold I loved it! The poncho fell perfectly, it was a great weight, a nice textured wool and black to go with everything. It seemed perfect, like it was made for me but I was nervous about the utility of a poncho. Shockingly I have more than 1 cape sitting in my closet (3 to be exact) but I never wear them because you cannot carry a bag when you wear a cape and since I live in NY and don't have a car with which to schlep my stuff, being able to carry a bag is a non-negotiable. But that's not a problem with a poncho as you have full and total access to your arms and can carry whatever you want. I was sold.

So far the weather has been so warm in NY this fall I haven't had too many opportunities to wear it, but when I have I absolutely love it! It's warm, the turtleneck collar makes a scarf unnecessary and I can wear it either with a triangle point in the middle or box shaped. I haven't accessorized it yet with brooches and pins but I will.



I have however learned some very important lessons about ponchos in the short period of time I have owned one.

1) It can wreak havoc on your hair and you must plan accordingly. No bows or ponytails when wearing a poncho.
2) While very sexy on, a poncho is not so sexy when you're putting it on. Aside from the aforementioned messy hair, it involves a lot of moving and shifting around which isn't so attractive, to ensure it is hanging properly.
3) Put your lip gloss on after you put on the poncho, or even better after you've arrived where you're going and have taken it off completely. It is likely to smudge/get stuck in your hair that is now flying in every which way.

And MOST importantly...

4) When you're wearing a poncho and you're on an escalator please take my life lesson and hold on to loose ends for dear life. I was at the movies last week when I nearly died by poncho. Seriously. I walking onto the escalator and the end got caught in the escalator rail. I started screaming for my friend or someone to press the emergency button but T-Pops couldn't find it so instead she just started pulling me down the up escalator and didn't know what to do. Luckily some kind stranger pulled my poncho free. The whole experience reminded me of Mallrats.

Even after all that I'd still recommend a poncho to anyone looking for a new fall staple. I love it!

Today's photo credit goes to Nicole who took it at what may have been the most boring street fair to ever hit the streets of NY which was taking place right outside of our office. Tomorrow I'll post about what I'm wearing underneath my poncho.