Add it Up: I would love to love you, but.... - YouLookFab Forum

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Add it Up: I would love to love you, but....

K. Period.

Veteran

So, the sized up Helmut Lang jacket arrived today. The larger size definitely fits better in the arms, but it seems a little loose in the body. I'm not sure whether to take it in to a good tailor and try for an alteration or just let this one go. The personal shopper at JCrew helped me take the photo of my back. She was in love with it, but I think she loved the novelty of the cut, which doesn't necessarily translate into "works great for me." I also think this would be a bit better if the stance were ever so slightly higher. If the button was just up an inch, I think it would be more slimming.

So, what do you think? Yay or Nay? Is it a 10 or a 7?

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Shopping

16 replies

Latest reply was from bj1111

shiny

Veteran

I think it fits you perfectly. Totally understand about wanting the stance higher, but I believe (and could stand corrected!) for this style that's exactly where it is meant to hit?

I have a version of this in an inexpensive F21 jacket. Unbuttoned I always fear it's like a giant arrow pointing directly at the place i most want to hide. So I wear it over loose, busy tops that hit low ( I have a lot of those), then it works for me.

catgirl

Veteran

Gosh, it's hard to tell. Something seems off but I can't tell if it's the photos. It looks great to me unbuttoned. I think it's at least a 9... I am so biased toward this shape and style! Is this the smoking jacket?

Mochi

Veteran

Shoulders too wide? A bit too angled in the front, in a way that seems almost random? Not short enough in front to be truly cropped, but sort of looks like it wants to be a cropped jacket?

K. Period.

Veteran

Yup, Una. The smoking jacket. I'm torn between thinking this is very good, and with just a little tailoring, it is going to be fantastic, and this is very good, but it isn't a 10, and tailoring isn't going to make it one either. *Sigh.* I am such a doubter when it comes to big purchases.

Mochi, I think you've given the whole list of things that I thought too. I really worry that by sizing up to get the arms fixed, I've made the shoulders too wide. And I'm not entirely sure that the arms are fixed. To me, they still seem to pinch in below the shoulder pads rather than hanging straight. You can see it in the side and back views.

Gaylene

Veteran

Lovely jacket, but doesn't seem to be quite a 10. The shoulders look a bit broad from the back and I agree that the stance could be higher. But I'm being really picky here because I know how easy it is to buy something that I adore that is "almost" perfect. I'm also thinking that the cut of this jacket would look best with a high-waist, looser trouser-style pant. Do you wear this kind of pant?

K. Period.

Veteran

Gaylene, I do, but I envision this jacket as a way to up the style quotient for a simple top and jeans outfit, mostly, and regular, work trousers and pencil skirts otherwise. I need it to be a real closet workhorse.

shiny

Veteran

K, can you shoot me the link to the pics of you in the smaller size? Because I got to thinking maybe I'm all wrong here, and the jacket I have is regular and i'm petite so it is just too long for me.

I DO think that this jacket, in the size here, would work great over pencil skirts. Just a hunch.

rae

(website)

Veteran

I love the back, but I agree with you that I'd like a higher stance on your body.... sorry, I would love to love it as well...

K. Period.

Veteran

Shiny, it is 3, 4 & 5 in this thread:
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ot-so-much

I think that yours probably looks fab on you, and that you are right that this style of jacket is intended to have a lower stance. I think that might be what kills it for me. I feel a bit like it is emphasizing my post-baby belly and that's not exactly the feature I want to highlight.

Thistle

Veteran

Honestly, with the way the jacket currently fits, I see it as closerto an 8 than 10. Not sure what tailoring could do, but I would want a purchase of this size to be a perfect 10.

K. Period.

Veteran

Thistle, I think you've nailed it.

In my heart, I don't think that this jacket is right. I want it to be right, but I don't think it is. If you'd all voted me down and there was overwhelming love for the jacket, then I'd know I was being too picky. However, everyone so far has felt like it was good, but not amazing. That's a pretty good sign it needs to go back. It's a big purchase and it needs to be brilliant at this price.

Unless Angie weighs in and says we're all insane, I'm printing out the return label.

Thanks for all your help, ladies. The search continues, so I'll be asking you all to look at more black jackets in the future. Hopefully one of these days I'll find one that makes everyone shout "Brilliant!"

Echo

Veteran

This jacket is too big. I had not seen the previous post about the other size you had tried on, but referencing it, that looks like a better fit to me. Were the arms too snug on that one? The issue with the one here, IMO, is that the arm holes are too big/too low and the shoulders are too big. The jacket loses its shape in its most structured parts, and I don't think tailoring on this will make it right because they would have to leave the sleeves the size they are and make the body the size of the other jacket. Sorry.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Too bad. It just doesn't seem to fit properly. And it really needs to be a 10 for this kind of money. It's a gorgeous piece, though.

I am sort of (in a grim way) enjoying these jacket posts. I mean I WISH you could find your perfect jacket just like that, but it's been super educational watching the misses.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Yeah it's good but not great.

K. Period.

Veteran

Ha ha! Suz, I totally know what you mean. When I read posts where someone is trying lots of different options to find the right thing and is really uncompromising, it teaches me a lot. Echo, Gaylene, Mochi and everyone else make really great points, and it is the fine points of fit that make all the difference. I had never thought about arm holes and how they affect a jacket fit until last year--that's when I realized that several of my BCBG jackets were never going to be really flattering because the armholes were cut too big. Posting here has also made me much more aware of stance. Even though I'd always considered it before, I didn't emphasize it the way that I do now. There are just so many details and it is so nice to learn about all of those fine points of fit. So, I'm loving learning from my failures too!

bj1111

Veteran

i love it on you open in a smaller size.