There were fewer coats and more jackets this year. It was good to see roomy coat styles, because those are the only silhouettes that work over chunky and fashionably oversized knitwear. It’s getting harder and harder to wear a tailored coat with tailored outfits being less fashionable than they used to be. The ease and comfort of the fluid and oversized fit has taken the world by storm and there’s no stopping the trend.
But the highlight in toppers this year was vests. There was a wide assortment across casual and dressy styles. For the first time ever, they were popular with my clients and it was fun to see them add them to their wardrobes. Many of them can be worn right away — in the office or when we have a cooler Summer Seattle day.
Coats
- Vince Camuto Quilted Jacket with Detachable Contrast Lined Hood: An extremely well made casual quilted parka that's very polished. The finish on it screams beautiful quality. The drawstring creates a little shape, and the side entry pockets are handy. Super cute back detailing. LOVE the orange lining and trim. Works well on petites.
- London Fog Long Double Breasted Trench Coat (Regular & Petite): The best trench coat at the NAS. An exquisite shade of dark blue with a hint of sheen. LOVE the hardware and piped zippers. The back zipper detailing is fun too. Impeccable quality. Runs big. If you wear a 0 or 2, the XS will be too big.
- Mackage Wool Blend Coat with Leather Sleeves: Dramatic, avant-garde and works on most body types. Beautifully made like all Mackage outerwear. Not great on petites. Runs small.
- Helene Berman Stripe Long Line Coat: A gorgeous striped man coat that's lightweight. The horizontal stripes do not widen the silhouette because it's very streamlined despite the boxy cut on the waist. Best suited to straight figures. Excellent on tall gals.
- Topshop Check Topper (Nordstrom Exclusive): Modern Retro Fabness. Very lightweight and unlined. Love the modern windowpane pattern, and the dark blue combined with mustard. Its cocoon shape works on all body types except sloping shoulders. Excellent for mild Winters. No need to be tall to wear this style of coat. Size down.
- Andrew Marc Wool Blend Coat with Leather Trim & Genuine Rabbit Fur Collar: Tailored, warm and modern. Requires tailored outfits as underlayers. Beautifully made.
- Jessica Simpson Belted Bouclé Cape: A fun cape coat with waist definition. Excellent on curvy body types. The sleeves are WIDE so consider yourself warned. Might need to size down.
- Mackage Wide Collar Wool Blend Coat: A beautifully tailored coat that is extremely slimming due to the vertical panelling. Needs to top tailored outfits. Runs small.
- Betsey Johnson Notch Collar Bouclé Coat: A fab cocoon coat that works on all body types. Looks good open and closed. The pink is luminous so it's probably better to stick with the black.
- Lafayette 148 New York Felted Wool Coat: A soft architectural boiled wool cocoon coat in a super shade of olive. Amazing silhouette. Works on all body types but sloping shoulders. Runs big.
- Halogen Twill Cape (Regular & Petite): A fun capelet with side entry pockets. An interesting substitute for a blazer. Well made.
- Tory Burch Colorblock Merino Wool Coat: A very dramatic and heavy sweater coat in pinky beige and ink. The stripes deliberately do NOT match up at the side seams and on the tops of the sleeves in order to create an amazing checkerboard effect. Very special and avant-garde. Looks good open and closed. It DOES make you look wider than your size, but a beautiful piece nonetheless. Needs broad shoulders to carry the piece.
- Calvin Klein Oversize Collar Boyfriend Coat: A lightweight oversized cocoon coat with a good fit. Teal is nicer than the pink. Might need to size down a size.
- Pendleton 'Berkley' Wool Blend Twill Duffle Coat with Genuine Coyote Fur Trim: A classic toggle coat in a marled shade of toffee. Very well made. Might be a little scratchy.
- Thread & Supply Funnel Neck Blanket Coat (Juniors) (Online Only): Global Arty Fabness. Oversized and very dramatic. Excellent over all sorts of chunky and oversized knitwear.
- Topshop 'Mia' Crombie Coat (Nordstrom Exclusive): The best part about the coat is the colour blocked lining of the collar that is visible when it's popped. Fun boyish style. Straight silhouette.
- Michael Single Breasted Raincoat (Regular & Petite): A repeat style trench that's extremely popular because it's well made, flattering, single-breasted, hooded, colourful and robust. Runs big.
Jackets
- Bernardo Faux Shearling Waterfall Jacket: An affordable faux shearling jacket that looks as good done up as it does left open. Soft and roomy. Runs large.
- LaMarque Drape Front Suede Jacket: And extremely soft drapey suede jacket. Good on an apple, pear and hourglass body type. Comes in olive too.
- Michael Down & Knit Jacket: Sporty Chic. A very well made piece with polished detailing. Love the orange trim.
- Truth & Pride 'Luna' Leather Moto Jacket: Pricey but gorgeous, and unique in the forest green. Lightweight, soft, and suitable for indoors. Refined. Perfect for business casual.
- Halogen Suede Trim Leather Jacket (Regular & Petite): A great jacket for a large bust and shorter neck. Strong and simple. Quite soft. Choose the petite if you are short.
- T Tahari 'Angelina' Zip Collar Leather Moto Jacket (Regular & Petite): The jacket is a lot better in person, and looks as good zipped up as it does worn loose. The leather is not super soft, but pretty nonetheless. Robust. Works well as an indoor leather jacket. Great fit for curvy gals. Eggplant gets my top vote.
- Lafayette 148 New York 'Trina' Funnel Neck Topper: Two of my clients bought this amazing trapeze jacket and took my breath away. One tall and one petite. WOW. One of them bought the matching trousers to wear as a suit. The fabric is scrumptious. Straight architectural drape at its best. Stunning from all angles. Unique and simple avant-garde. I'm SO glad it's blue and not black.
- Topshop Suede Caddy Jacket (Nordstrom Exclusive): The best green leather jacket at the NAS. It's a little heavier though, and might be too warm to wear indoors if you run warm. It's also quite cropped, so excellent on petites and good to pair with dresses and skirts.
- Halogen Zip Pocket Jacket (Regular & Petite): An excellent tweed moto that works well on curvy gals. Crease resistant and good for travel. Looks best open. Creates a tailored fit when closed. Long enough for tall girls.
- Vince Camuto Double Zip Pocket Blazer: A very flattering blazer. Surprisingly, it works as well for pear and hourglasses as it does for apple shapes. Works on a regular and larger bust. The position of the zipped pockets defines the waist by drawing the eye inwards. The low tuxedo stance looks extra modern. Very flattering.
- Pleione Roll Sleeve Drawstring Waist Jacket: A lovely soft jacket to wear over trousers, a pencil skirt or a sheath dress to the office. Very comfortable. Nice and different.
- Classiques Entier 'Giana' Ponte & Double Knit Jacket: Tailored and sharp. Fun peplum detail at the back. The strategic positioning of the colour blocking defines the waist and creates a flattering silhouette. Excellent on hourglasses, pears and apple shapes.
- Theory 'Kinde' Leather Sleeve Bouclé Moto Jacket: A stunning mixed media tweed and leather moto. Amazing back fit with peplum detailing. Tailored at the back, fluid in front. Modern and flattering. Great on petites. Runs small.
- Classiques Entier 'Brenna' Leather Jacket with Detachable Genuine Toscana Shearling Collar (Regular & Petite): One of the best leather jackets at the NAS. Streamlined, fitted, and quite short. Very refined. Excellent over dresses and skirts. The fur is removable. Office appropriate because the zippers are subtle. A beautiful piece that will stand the test of time.
- Rag & Bone / Jean 'M15' Military Jacket (Nordstrom Exclusive): For Team Long Arms because the sleeves cannot be shortened. The wide bell sleeves with tab detailing are unique. With its gathered hem and cargo pockets, the jacket creates an unusual shape on the body. It's edgy and just flattering enough.
- Rag & Bone 'Archer' One-Button Wool Blend Blazer: Deconstructed Tomboy Fabness. It has a boyfriend fit which is boxy and quite severe. You have to show the intricate collar of this piece because that's the point of it. So it's for short hair or tied up hair. Might run a little small.
- KUT from the Kloth 'Levi' Faux Leather Drape Front Jacket: A repeat drape leather jacket style that works well over dresses for curvy ladies. The leather is hard and the look quite severe so consider yourself warned. Fab nonetheless if that's your cup of tea.
- Halogen Smocked Side Leather Moto Jacket (Plus Size): A shaped leather jacket with side panel ruching. An elegant and classic piece with a high longevity factor.
Vests
- Kensie Faux Shearling Vest (Online Only): Casual Drama for gals on the go. Does not look good zipped up. A lovely warm and soft grey.
- Sejour Long Double Breasted Vest (Plus Size): An amazing vest for business casual. Soft, semi-structured and polished. Wear it just like the model, pop it over a dress, or wear with a pair of jeans.
- KUT from the Kloth 'Veronica' Faux Leather Vest: The most popular vest at the NAS. Fashionable, soft, comfortable, great fit and good price. Must wear it open. It looks good over all sorts of outfits. Also works well over a large bust.
- Lafayette 148 New York Faux Leather Pocket Ribbed Collar Sweater Vest: A stunning vest for business casual with trousers and top. Swingy but streamlined, and very elegant. Amazing pleated swoosh from the side. Looks as good in stone.
- Ella Moss Faux Shearling Vest (Nordstrom Exclusive): Fashionably boho, and excellent for Team Tall. Great side entry pockets and super for mild Fall and Winter days. Runs big.
- Ellen Tracy Toggle Closure Faux Shearling Vest (Regular & Petite): Amazingly tailored when buttoned up. You need to be tall or have a strong shoulder line to pull off the size of the collar. Works surprisingly well on a large bust. Runs big.
- Kristen Blake Tiered Faux Fur Vest: Super fun. Do NOT expect to look svelte in this vest. It's a fashion statement and a comfy one at that. Dramatic, daring, and just flattering enough.
- T Tahari 'Loey' Mixed Media Faux Shearling Vest: In true Tahari fashion, a beautifully made casual piece with lots of polish. The piping on the side seam zippers is amazing and so is the fit. Warm and tailored. Nice worn open too.
- Trouvé Mix Texture Longline Vest: The most dramatic and edgy piece at the NAS, and reasonably priced considering that the bottom window pane panel zips off to create a short solid vest. It's quite well made, and looks best unzipped. This is for Team Tall and runs big.
- Topshop Belted Biker Vest (Nordstrom Exclusive): Fashionably oversized and my favourite vest at the NAS. I love the moto style in a dressy suiting fabric. Clever. Looks amazing fastened or unfastened. The pinky beige is surprisingly versatile and works well with just about any colour. Not soul sucking. Runs big. I was unfortunately sized out of this piece.
- Lafayette 148 New York Faux Leather Pocket Ribbed Collar Sweater Vest: A stunning vest for business casual with trousers and top. Swingy but streamlined. Amazing pleated swoosh from the side. Looks as good in black.
Collections
Here are the collections pages if you would like to see the items alongside the descriptions.
