Oh no, I'm about to make everyone mad :p
Steph, you completely nailed my biggest hesitation with the red coat. I agree with everything you said. I have one other coat that is double breasted, but the buttons are much closer and low contrast against the coat, so it doesn't bother me. The other thing about this coat that bugs me is that the belt is not adjustable. The buttons are all fixed in place, so I can't cinch as tight as I usually would, nor can I loosen it if I layer a lot.
I think what people really seem to like about the red coat is the fact that...well...it's red. So I have come up with a brilliant solution: I can get that red Guess coat. With the sale going on now, it will be even cheaper (it was on clearance to begin with), so why not? I have been finding that even though I like my purple military coat, the length is problematic sometimes. A long, lightweight wool coat will be very practical in late fall and early spring. It was also DB, but the buttons were larger and more closely spaced.
The tweed one is more practical for the same reason my BR coat was practical: The texture hides dirt and grime well--and in NYC, dirt and grime are to be expected. Plus I can wear colorful winter accessories with it. I'm totally throwing red ear muffs on my Christmas list...
