Coats, jackets and vests are always good at the NAS and this year was no different. The only colour spectrum missing was a pastel palette, but we can’t have everything. I was pleased to see an assortment of tailored and fluid coats because I am bored with the oh so trendy oversized look. It was fun for a while, but I am back on Team Structured and am enjoying defining my waist for at least some of the time.
Coats
- T Tahari 'Ella' Belted Wool Blend Wrap Coat (Regular & Petite): Lightweight and good for a mild Winter. Gorgeous colour. Great on a curvy figure. Belt loops might be in the wrong place, so take the belt out of the loops unless you are tall, and tie it on the SMALLEST part of the waist. Runs big.
- Cole Haan Signature Water-Resistant Packable Hooded Anorak (Plus Size): Good fit and easy to layer over chunky layers. Lots of room for a larger bust. Great back waist-defining detail for added structure. Sleeves are easy to shorten. Fabulous colours.
- Kristen Blake Water Repellent Hooded Soft Shell Jacket (Regular & Petite): A very well made rain coat with lots of room in the hip and sleeve area. Great on very curvy hourglasses and pear shaped body types. Substantial hardware and robust fabric. Great on petites in the petite size. Might run a size big.
- Michael Hooded Trench Coat (Regular & Petite): An excellent trench coat for petites in particular. Classic styling in fun colours. Removable hood and liner. Excellent side-entry pocket positioning. Works as well for apple shapes as it does for pretty pears. Genius cut.
- Vince Drape Neck Wool Blend Coat: Avant-Garde Fabness. Unstructured, yet beautifully drapey and asymmetrical. Well made and lightweight. Very luxurious. You have to love black to love this coat because it's a LOT of coat. Sleeves are hard to shorten, but not impossible. Size down.
- Halogen Halogen Hooded Parka with Faux Fur Trim (Regular & Petite): Best casual parka at the NAS. Amazing length and shape because it nips in at the waist. Love the asymmetrical hem. The faux fur trim makes the coat prettier and more interesting so don't remove it! Fabulous length for tall girls. Nice in black too.
- The North Face 'ThermoBall' PrimaLoft Hooded Parka: Best gear topper at the sale. Sleek, lightweight, packable, weather-resistant, and available in fun colours. The waist can be narrowed with a drawstring for structure.
- Michael Asymmetrical Zip Front Hooded Trench Coat (Regular & Petite): An excellent trench coat for petite apple shaped body types. Forgiving yet structured in all the right places. The V-neck zipper is elongating and flattering. Fabulous pocket positioning.
- T Tahari Diamond Quilt Jacket: An excellent silhouette for an hourglass or pear shaped body type with a larger bust. Not good on an apple shape. Fab quality, refined quilting, and gorgeous shade of midnight blue. A unique silhouette. Runs big.
- Pendleton Hooded Rain Coat: An impeccable Preppy casual classic. Might look a little too masculine so consider yourself warned. Runs large and is available in three colours.
- T Tahari 'Tessa' Boiled Wool Blend Coat: A stunning streamlined and crisp modern classic coat. Gorgeous colour, and brilliant on a larger bust. It runs two sizes big so SIZE DOWN. There is lots of room in the sleeves if that's generally a concern. If you wear a regular size 0, the XS will be too big.
- The North Face 'Miss Metro' Hooded Parka: Futuristic Ice Rose Puffer Fabness. Comfy, warm and different. Fits well as far as chunky puffer coats go.
- Laundry By Shelli Segal Double Face Drape Collar Coat (Regular & Petite): A good coat for a pear or hourglass body type. Best on a very curvy body type. Lightweight and fire engine red. Collar works well on a large bust.
- Trina Turk 'Bonnie' Shawl Collar Skirted Coat (Regular & Petite): Modern Retro Fabness. A heavy coat that works best on a defined waist. It has a voluminous back bustle so consider yourself warned. Great on very curvy figures.
- Bernardo Textured Long Coat (Regular & Petite): I was surprised at how well this long coat worked on broad-shouldered petites! It's the collar that is very elongating and flattering. Of course the length is a slam dunk on tall gals. Lightweight with great side entry pockets. Streamlined and trendy. Delicious shade of dark orange. Works well on both straighter and curvier body shapes.
- Pendleton 'Hillsdale' Buffalo Plaid Wool Blend Coat: An impeccable casual coat in a brilliant shade of blue. It's electric and brighter in person. I found the wool scratchy, but it did not bother my clients. Runs very big.
- Trina Turk Wool Blend Military Coat (Regular & Petite): The best coat at the sale. Impeccable, interesting, and a modern classic that will stand the test of time. Very flattering. Plenty of room on the hips. Tailored and sharp. Great on a curvy and straighter figure, but not good on a very large bust. You can't wear it over oversized chunky knits so consider yourself warned.
- French Connection Wool Blend Peacoat: A fabulous military classic in either ink blue or black. Gives Burberry a run for its money at a fraction of the price. Well made. Does NOT run small as the site suggests. Size down. Looks as good worn open as it does buttoned-up. Sleeves are very long, and hard to shorten but not impossible. Make sure you like the position of the side entry pockets too.
- Betsey Johnson Coat with Faux Fur Trim: Hooded Cape Fabness. The shaped torso is unique. Dramatic, and might run a size big.
- Halifax Bonded Knit Zip Front Jacket: Athletic, practical and very casual. It has a nice shape that cinches in at the waist. Well made and runs big. Get the blue over the grey.
See the items alongside my descriptions on the collection page.
Jackets
- Sejour Leather Peplum Jacket (Plus Size): A simple and chic leather jacket. The fit is WOW. It works as well on a defined waist as it does on an apple or rectangular shaped body type. Very streamlining, comfortable and versatile. A great topper to wear with skirts and dresses, as well as trousers and jeans.
- Lafayette 148 New York 'Marty' Funnel Neck Jacket: Unique, electric and a genius cut. It has worked on various body types. It defines the waist when you are apple shaped, and accentuates the waist when you're an hourglass. Crisp and happy. Fabulous quality. Great with black and white outfits. Unlined and runs a size big.
- Classiques Entier Asymmetrical Zip Fitted Leather Jacket (Regular & Petite): A great leather jacket for a curvy figure with a shorter neck. Polished and crisp. Less brown and more purple in person.
- Eileen Fisher Round Neck Wool Jacket (Regular & Petite): Avant-Garde Fabness. Size down one or two sizes and fasten the front clasp when you are curvy. Excellent with the matching pullover for a modern twinset effect. The sage green is unique and lovely.
- Vince Camuto Zip Pocket Drape Front Blazer: An extremely good affordable blazer. It has worked on every body type - apple to pear - and from size 2 to 14. A magical cut with an excellent asymmetrical hem. Very flattering. Works well over dresses too.
- Vince Suede Scuba Jacket: Exquisite quality and luxurious fabrication. Quite delicate. Creates a beautiful silhouette on the body, and has a modern '70s vibe. Runs a size small, and the sleeves are narrow.
- Topshop 'Julie' Suede Moto Jacket: A boxy navy suede moto that is best suited to a short-waisted straight figure. Modern Fabness. Suede is looking very fresh these days.
- Helene Berman Helen Berman Tweed Zip Front Jacket: A classic tweed jacket for both a curvy or straighter figure. Beautifully made and more pink in person. Polished, sharp and tailored. Might run a size small.
- Barbour 'Millfire' Hooded Quilted Jacket: A fun casual quilted jacket with room on the upper torso. Well made, equestrian and Preppy. It might look a tad masculine, so consider yourself warned. Runs small so size up.
- Treasure&Bond Zip Front Denim Poncho: Trendy Denim Poncho Fabness. Not so fab on petites unless you have broad shoulders and big hair.
- BCBGeneration Faux Shearling Drape Front Jacket: Best faux fur topper at the sale. The fit and drape are INCREDIBLE. I can't believe how well the front lapels drape and stay put. Very streamlined. It wowed me. Works well on a large bust and in all sizes. My size 2, 6, 8, and 14 clients put this on and took my breath away. Fun pockets and lovely asymmetrical hem. Tailored and non-scratchy. Sleeves are easy to shorten.
- MAX MARA 'Avoriaz' Stretch Jersey Jacket: A great long blazer for Team Tall. Comfortable because of soft and stretchy fabric. Very streamlined and beautifully made. It has a high longevity factor, and looks terrific with the matching cropped pants.
- Topshop Camo MA1 Bomber Jacket: The jacket is a LOT better in person. A very dramatic item for Team Ultra Trendy. Do not try this item unless you are prepared to stand out. The sleeves are darted on the elbow and beautifully architectural so don't scrunch the sleeves. The front yokes and back seam are ruched for effect. Runs a size small.
- James Perse Double Breasted Blazer: Best knitted jacket at the sale. Casually chic, and very comfortable. Works well on petites and short-waisted body types. Sleeves are easy to shorten. It also worked unexpectedly well on tall girls. Also available in olive.
- Classiques Entier One-Button Jacquard Jacket: A streamlined and polished career wear jacket that suits a range of body types, although best on a shorter neck. Sharp. Might need to size down.
- Boss 'Julara' Stretch Wool Blend Suit Jacket: The best lightweight wool blue blazer at the NAS. The colour and fabric are SUBLIME. Very luxurious. It looks particularly good with the matching skirt and dress, or as an item worn with a black support act. It fits broad-shouldered body types particularly well, and also works on a larger bust.
- Halogen Raw Edge Pieced Leather Jacket (Regular & Petite): An excellent fit on apple shaped petites.
- Sun & Shadow Suede Crop Moto Jacket: This jacket was in the Juniors section and it WOWED me. An excellent fit on apple shaped petites. Gorgeous fabric, wonderful colour, and quite well made. Size down if you have a straighter figure and narrow shoulders.
- Halogen Cascade Front Jacket (Regular & Petite): Comfortable, easy, and machine washable on the delicates cycle. Very forgiving of "lumps and bumps". Well worth the rave reviews.
- Vince Camuto Jacquard Knit One-Button Blazer (Regular & Petite): You could sleep in this jacket it's THAT comfortable. It fits well but runs big. Polished enough to wear to the office too. The pattern can look a little blah, so make sure you dress it up with colour, texture or shine.
- Sam Edelman Pintucked Leather Jacket: The colour is GORGEOUS. The leather is heavy so it's not an indoor jacket. Streamlined and well made. Fits a curvy and straighter figure.
- Adidas Originals 'Pavao Firebird' Logo Track Jacket: Sporty '70s Fabness. Modern Retro for the win! The best athletic topper at the sale. The peacock pattern and trim detailing ALL over the jacket are amazing. Runs small, and will not work for petites unless you have long arms. It has a matching undershirt so that you can create a fun twinset effect.
- Caslon Cotton Knit Open Front Blazer (Regular & Petite): VERY comfortable, and works on most body types. Sleeves are very long but easily altered. Size down. All the colours are nice.
- Kate Spade New York draped suede jacket: An exquisite high-end piece that feels SO good on. Very luxurious, and looks sharp, rich and polished despite being suede. Casually dressy, and is as smashing for a business casual office as it is paired with jeans. Works well on both a curvy and straighter figure. Excellent on a shorter neck, and brilliant over dresses, skirts and culottes because of the shorter length.
See the items alongside my descriptions on the collection page.
Vests
- Rag & Bone 'Faye' Longline Double Breasted Wool Blend Vest: Best tailored vest or gilet at the sale. Impeccable fit and workmanship. Subtle yet dramatic. Very tailored, sharp, and will stand the test of time. It's BLUE and has pockets. Too long for petites, but an easy alteration to shorten the length. Might run small.
- Helene Berman Fringe Long Plaid Vest: Best fringed item at the sale. All I could do was smile profusely when my clients modelled this vest. VERY FUN and impeccably made. Fluid fit. A statement piece with a high longevity factor. The checks are beautifully matched all over the garment. A very happy piece!
- Lafayette 148 New York Reversible Quilted Vest (Regular & Petite): A fully reversible classic of impeccable quality. Works well on a larger bust.
- Treasure&Bond Relaxed Leather Moto Vest: An easy pull-on-and-fgo that will add a fashionable hard edge to outfits. Looks fashion-forward over dresses too. Runs big.
See the items alongside my descriptions on the collection page.
NAS Top Picks by Category
This is part of a five post series.
- Coats, Jackets and Vests (this post)
- Footwear and Accessories
- Tops and Knitwear
- Dresses and Dress Toppers
- Skirts, Pants and Jeans
Also check out my introduction to the series, my tips on how to shop the sale, and the items I brought home from the sale.
