Good WOOL coats? Where? - YouLookFab Forum

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Good WOOL coats? Where?

Pame

I'm having a really hard time finding a good wool coat for a fairly reasonable price. Most have a lot of other fiber heavily blended with the wool. Many do not even tell the wool percentage(online). From Neiman to Old Navy, they are blended wool. Add to that the fact I am petite-5'2" 105 lbs. grrrr....Any suggestions, Ladies? I'd like to see no more than 10 % blend. Thank you!

Shopping

16 replies

Latest reply was from

MsMary

Veteran

I can't comment too much on the fabric issue, but Macy's has a very good selection of petite coats in their brick and mortar stores. I just looked at my favorite Anne Klein coat and it's 80% wool. Don't know if that helps you..

April

Veteran

Pame, I'm wondering if you're not seeing 100% wool, or close to it, because all-wool doesn't produce a fabric that's light enough or soft enough to hold a flattering drape when it's thick enough to make a warm coat? I don't sew so that's a total guess, but I'm noticing that even places that are all about warmth, e.g. Lands End, tend to blend the wool with other fibers.

Maybe there's some reason it works better that way -- can someone who knows fabrics comment?

Linda

I am 5ft 4 in and just found a fabulous navy blue dress coat in a petite size in the Brooks Brothers outlet store. With all the seasonal discounts, I paid $211 including tax. If you have an outlet near you, it's worth a try!

Greyscale

Veteran

I have an all-wool coat from Club Monaco but they're awful about not listing the fiber content online. I definitely sympathize.

Jacky

Veteran

Seconding Club Monaco as a place to look, although you'll want to wait for things to go on sale. I just bought a wool coat from there (although I'm not positive it's 100% wool) for $300 after tax and I love it. In 5'4" and it fits me really well.

April

Veteran

Following up to say that Nordstrom seems to list the fiber content (and even the thumbnails say "wool" or "wool blend"), but the only coats I saw of 100% wool were from Fleurette, and I'm going to take a wild guess that when you said "fairly reasonable price" you didn't mean $500 - 1000.

Another thought is the lambswool line from LL Bean. (example http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop.....ee-quarter ) The site doesn't specify percentages, but one thing about Bean -- you can call them and ask a question and they'll answer it for you. Worth a shot.

K. Period.

Veteran

I think some of the problem comes from the fact that the coats are often lined with a different fabric than the outer and the companies often don't take the time to split them!

I have a J Crew coat and a Club Monaco coat and both are quite nice. My J Crew one is definitely the winner for quality for price. It is two years old and looks like new. I think it was a much better value than my Club Monaco one, which is lovely and very good quality, but not the same phenomenal quality as the J Crew one. And J Crew carries petites. Angie has a J Crew one too and I know she is very impressed with how it has worn over the three years she has had it--she mentions it often!

My suggestion would be to not worry too much about the wool/other fiber division, up to maybe 20% other fiber. 100% wool can be lousy quality wool and pill and fall apart in a cheap coat. Also blend can also add durability--I know 100% cashmere is not nearly as sturdy for a coat as a cashmere blend, so thoughtful sources recommend a blend over a pure cashmere coat.

Try on a J Crew coat, if you can. I bet you'll love it.

Pame

Thanks, Ladies! <3 We finally have a J. Crew within reasonable driving distance. I did look at some there (online) prior and they looked very nice. I'll drive Sunday the hour and a half to the store and try on some, hopefully!

*Update: checked J. Crew, found 2 styles I wanted to order, sold out [of]my size in both.

Pame

Final update: J.Crew sold out. Petite is available online only. Will not be available again until winter 2014.

K. Period.

Veteran

As in both styles that you were interested in are sold out entirely in Petite in the store and are sold online only now? Or both styles were sold out entirely even online? I'm confused. Just wondering because at my JCrew (which I love) I've been able to have the catalog to ship me "final sale" things to try on and my store folks had them note that it will be returnable even though technically final sale. They volunteered to do that after I went to the store to try something and it wasn't in stock. Maybe your store would be willing to do something like that? Or you could connect with them through their personal shopper service and ask them to make that exception for you? That is if that's the issue.

Pame

Customer service rep said petite is sold online only, not in stores. And stock is sold out. There is a waiting list on one coat , where I could have been placed, but it's for the Azure color only.

K. Period.

Veteran

:/ Drat! Shopping for coats this time of year is hard. Is there any chance that you'd be able to wait until next year, when you'll have a better selection? Unfortunately, the prices are higher, but getting the right coat is important. It is really an item that gives you huge value. When you think about it, you wear it all the time (much more than any clothing item that goes under it). It is really worthwhile to invest in one you love.

Pame

Yes, I have several nice coats I can wear, but my solid black one was too big, so I was going to replace it. I got a goodly amount of cash for Christmas and thought that would be my choice of spending it. I can just wait till next year and get my choice of a nice J. Crew coat. Thanks! :)))))

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

You might post on the Alterations Needed Forum - it's a style forum, geared towards petite women

Other petite sites that feature and review petite clothing (maybe search "wool coat"):

Alterations Needed
Extra Petite
Wendy's Lookbook

Isabel

Veteran

I find it hard to find 90-100% wool coats. But what I do get is at Land's End and LL Bean. Though Pendelton is suppose to have some great ones too. JCrew used to have really high percentage wool coats too.

Good luck !

Anonymous

Check a brand called Fleurette. 100% Loro Piana wool. If not, check Soia & Kyo. They are both pricey but you really get what you pay for on a wool coat.