Hi Janet, as you asked for honest opinions, to my eye it seems to make you look bigger in the middle compared to other photos I have seen of you on the forum where I have clearly seen you are not. Something is off in the middle to my eye. Not that flattering, it must be the cut.

In most of your WIWs, I think you look *amazing*. You have these fab long legs and you look tall and slim and gorgeous to me. I’m not sure that you always feel gorgeous since maybe not that many of us do!
But in this jacket, all I can say is it doesn’t make you look as gorgeous as in many of your outfits. This is just to my very subjective eye. It doesn’t look bad. It sounds like it may suit your life and it feels great on you’ve said. So it depends on how important the figure flattery is I suppose? I am not skilled enough to see *why* it doesn’t seem as flattering as other outfits, but more knowledgeable Fabbers up thread had ideas.

From your comments I think you really like it and you should go with your feelings. Sometimes things just don’t photograph well or look better in motion. I do like it more unbuttoned, with some break in amount of plaid in lower part. See how model has it more open?

Hmm. I wish I were the kind of person who could just wear looks without a thought of flattery, and sometimes I do make JFE allowances, but I’m not sure I want to spend a couple hundred dollars on a jacket that most people seem to agree does not do me favors. It’s one thing to embrace volumizing looks when you’re a size 2, completely another when you’re a size 10ish.

I think it’s no accident that the model stock photos are mostly posed in some sort of motion, angled, and mostly open. It’s probably a bit less universally flattering than they advertise it, but on my body type, these cuts are not the easiest.

I’ll show my husband to see what he thinks, but it’s probably going back. Maybe there will be another style with a bit more tailoring in the waist at some point.

I really loved the idea of this jacket too, and I was super interested to see how it would work for you. Have you thought about something with the drama and drape, but that has more of a waisted/ belted look? Maybe that's too formal for your style though ....

<https://www.net-a-porter.com/e.....at/1251421

I'm with Jonesy

I think it fits like it's suppose to. Architectural drape and a bit boxy. Why not! SMASHING!

It's a nice change from your other silhouettes, Janet. I find the look flattering in a fashion forward way. Great tailored fit on the sleeves and shoulders which makes the look work well. I love it!

The grey plaid is gorgeous with your new hair. The hoodie is perfect, and the length is dramatic. You look 10 foot tall!

My practical question: Do the long slits work when you're out and about? Not too breezy and flappy?

Lisa, that’s really beautiful. But I already have a teal Burberry trench that I love but is just a bit too formal and too specifically outerwearish. The Theory trench is easier than the Burberry for sure, but doesn’t have the easy casual vibe I’m after. The color is great though!

I hate that clothes like this make me feel like a failure, like my body is the problem.

(Read my comment above yours).

Ah, Angie, we cross posted! I think you and Jonesy see the potential I did. But now I’m not sure it’s JFE for me. Maybe I need to try it on when I’m in a better mood (woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning I guess).

Mull it over, Janet. Of course ask your style guru, Jamie, too

And there is EVERYTHING RIGHT with your rocking hot bod!

Janet I have a swing coat that hangs out away from the body. When I first tried it on I was a bit disappointed. It took me a few days to get used to the silhouette. Now I love it because it is different to my other coats which are predominantly fitted at the waist. Maybe give yourself a few days before deciding either yay or nay. You need to feel fab in it for it to deserve a place in your wardrobe.

Janet - don’t fall into that trap . It’s not worthy of you and your time . We all need to buy what works on us individually . The coat is a different cut , and with that narrow , low lapel , I know it’s the coat and not you . Kit & Ace is not the most flexible of fits ( can’t think of the word I want ) either as they are more an androgynous looking line . . If this coat had a wider , more 70’s lapel and was cut completely differently through the body , it would be a slam dunk on you . I think you can do much better .

It is described on the website as slim fit which it clearly is not. There is definitely nothing wrong with your body. I still think the cut is probably off.

I keep thinking about this. Long toppers are hard! The colours are great; I really like it in #8 so it must be something about the shape that is off to my eye. Agree that the stance is lower than ideal, and it's a lot of plaid. If there's something about this piece that you really love (colours, fabric, whatever), then maybe it's worth the effort of making it look/feel good. Otherwise, I think you can do better and probably won't regret returning it.

I’m glad you decided to try out this jacket. I love plaid and grey so of course I was interested. Plus it’s machine washable. It’s not conventionally flattering on you, though. What does your husband think?

Like I said, I'm betting if you try it again, style it up, show Jamie, do some mulling, you'll be clearer. (Well, duh!) But I also feel like the slits will make it look pretty cool in motion.

Janet you are gorgeous! If this does not make you feel that way it doesn’t deserve any space.

I like the close up shot (#8) a lot! I think the colour and pattern would be something worth pursuing, but the cut of the garment seems to fight with your natural body type. It seems to be made for a straight up and down/rectangular build rather than an hourglass. I also find the stance particularly low set. It’s probably the fit model used in the design process, and Kit and Ace might not be for you just like J.Crew and Massimo Dutti aren’t for me. (It’s not us, or our bodies - it’s how the designers chose to design and cut the garments.)

I resisted responding earlier because I did not want to be against when you seemed so for, but I really think it does not do you justice at all.

The cut completely obscures your excellent figure and the busy-ness of the fabric distracts from your face, which surprised me because I would have thought a light colored plaid would be subdued.

Just chiming in to say I actually really like it, and much prefer it worn open, not closed. It’s supposed to be boxy, and with your height, you pull off that look well.
I think what’s throwing people off is the side view. But you’re not going to be standing like that - a static pose - when you wear it. Those side slits are fabulous and will look great in motion. The fit looks perfect and so does the quality. Those plaids line up perfectly! The colors look great with your hair. I think it will look fantastic with a column of color worn underneath, and I hope you decide to keep it.

Hi Janet - Just chiming in to say I really like the jacket. Some clothing lines are really meant to be seen in motion like EF. Plus you, all all people, know taking a 3D object and taking a 2D photo creates distortion. Sometime things look much more elegant irl and I’m betting this is one. It’s very Angelina Jolie (in the best possible way) elegant, confident interesting esp with its body flight. Plus you said the magic words. It feels good on. That usually means the jacket is sitting plumb which is so hard to find. I think it’s a similar situation to the Theory Clairene I just bought. In this case I really think you should toss out other opinions. Trust your gut. You have a great eye. Think Ummlila’s. RT leather jacket. Forum was not loving. She styled it and opinion flipped entirely. You need to trust what you see. You’re an artist. You know

Thank you, everyone, for all the feedback! Just to be totally clear, in the instances when I ask for honest feedback, I mean it, and I'm glad that people expressed their opinions here. Sometimes the forum can be great for cheerleading, but that was not what I was after here -- I wanted a critical eye and I got it.

It's not a total surprise that opinions here reflect my own ambivalence about this piece. I wasn't really in a mood yesterday to dive further into this, so I let it sit in the closet. Depending on what projects I get into today, I may take a break and do a little try-on sesh and show my husband to get his input. I truly do think this is one of those items that doesn't photograph easily, like the Clairene jacket Griffin posted above. In looking at the K&A website photos, even the photo of the plaid jacket from the back view on the model is quite voluminous and doesn't exactly make her look small either. But I need to assess whether I will be comfortable *emotionally* in the jacket as well as physically. I know I objectively look better in toppers that are shaped in the waist, as do most very hourglassy women. But very tailored cuts like that lose some of the ease and casual vibe that this type of style has. This is a common theme throughout dressing my body -- for instance, I look much better in tailored dresses with waists rather than shifts (I literally look like a sack of potatoes in a shift dress, it's that bad). But tailored dresses with waists tend to look less casual and more formal, which is not what I am after. So I'm constantly looking for items that bridge that gap and it's not an easy search.

Thanks for your help. I'll update later when I have time to consider further.