Leather jacket: Veda vs AT petites - YouLookFab Forum

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Leather jacket: Veda vs AT petites

shiny

Veteran

Need YLF to help me decide if I keep either of these jackets, or return and keep looking. Worn over the Cruel Green Dress I'm wearing out tonight for my birthday dinner, because I *would* want to be able to wear this jacket over dresses, not just with pants and jeans...

Jacket #1: Veda jacket from NAS. It is not petite. I have the sleeves tucked under-- these would have to be shortened.

Pros: the fit in the shoulders, bust, waist, etc is great. It's very comfortable. The leather is absolutely divine.

Cons: is it too long for me? It looks more like a boyfriend blazer length? I don't know, something about the length, on me, makes me think it looks dated? I do not think it could be altered, but maybe the experts here could tell me. There is a seam at the waist, but it would need a new zipper??

Jacket #2: AT petites, "online exclusive." It is real leather, but the leather isn't anywhere near as luscious as the Veda, but it was also 1/3 the price of the Veda.

Pros: fits perfect, and is also comfortable. No alterations required, not even the sleeves.

Cons: the gold zippers are kind of cheap quality, but I can get over that. Biggest problem? THE SMELL. OMG. I don't know what it is, it smells like mold or mildew or pollution or something? And the odor is so strong, it gives me a headache. I have been airing it out for a solid week, it's improved a little (can no longer smell it from 6 feet away) but it still smells horrible.

I talked to the store. I have 45 days to return, and they said they may be able to allow me to try and get it cleaned, and if it still stinks, I may still be able to return it. I just don't know ... on the fence here!

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15 replies

Latest reply was from shiny

Anonymous

So bad at judging jacket fit, but here's my first instinct:

The first one looks completely great from the front, the quality sounds wonderful, and I don't think it looks dated at all, but the fabric's bunching up a little around the waist in the back in a way that makes me wonder if it's a little long in the torso. But, as I mentioned, I'm clueless here so hope other people weigh in, and also maybe it's something that could be altered.

For the second one, it just seems like it would be really hard to get past the smell. Other than that, the fit looks great, but I'm not sure if the neckline is the most flattering (may be a little high?).

And happy birthday! That green is so beautiful on you.

JAileen

Veteran

I'm not sure about fit. But I remembered a thread about a stinky leather jacket. It's interesting everything she tried:

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....the-washer

rae

(website)

Veteran

With dresses I feel you either need to go with a cropped jacket or a long jacket, so I am on Team Veda. The AT length feels a smidge neither here nor there to me. Just MHO... I am picky with dresses and jackets. Even if I didnt like the Veda, I think real leather that smells is a bad sign...

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I MUCH prefer jacket #2. The fit is a billion times better to my eye. (Sorry about the smell though).

FWIW, I find #1 awfully snug at the back, and too long for your petite height.

April

Veteran

That was my musty Marc leather jacket and trust me -- the smell will not go away.

Until you do as I finally did, employing the ultimate solution: charity donation.

However, I'm saying this after Angie has noted that the fit on the stinky one is so much better, so I realize I've left you between a rock and hard place.

I guess my final thought is only to keep the AT one if you can live with the odor.

Gigi

Veteran

I think that the first jacket looks a little too long; the fit of the second jacket is excellent IMO, as long as you don't mind the edgier vibe of the zippers. It depends on the mood you want to impart when wearing the jacket.

As for the smell, I bought a faux leather skirt from Asos that smelled so bad that it gave me a headache. I aired it out for a week, but it wasn't much better. So I put a little zeolite (a type of rock with little tunnels in it that can catch odor particles) on a little plate and put that and the skirt inside of a plastic bag that I tied up. I let it sit for a couple of weeks, and the odor was so much better. I was able then to wear the skirt and hang it up in my closet like any other skirt. I did check the skirt after one week, and I moved the zeolite around on its plate at that time, to make sure that all the little tunnels on the surface of the rocks would be exposed.

You can find zeolite in the pet section of Target, Walmart, etc., I think. It is something that people mix in with kitty litter to absorb odors. The stuff I have is called No Offense, by SmartyKat. The box says "natural litter box deodorizer." I don't remember what it cost, but it wasn't very much.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Gigi, that's an awesome tip!

I think the quality of jacket 1 looks gorgeous but the fit is wrong.

I am not sure about the neckline of jacket 2 and I worry about that smell. But otherwise it looks good.

The colour is gorgeous on you. Not that this helps a lot.

Happy birthday and hope you had a wonderful time -- the dress is sensational on you!

shiny

Veteran

#1 - It's funny about the snug fit in the back -- it in no way feels snug, I didn't even notice until I took the pic. I think it is just bunching because it is too long in the torso for me.

Does anyone think this could possibly be altered ? There is a seam at the back waist, I can imagine it could easily be taken up there -- it's just that it would then need a much shorter zipper. You can't shorten a zipper, can you? Can you only replace with a shorter zipper?

#2 - agree the fit overall is better. I realize taking these photos I hurriedly zipped it -- it's not laying right at top, but just in these pics.

It's just the dang smell, and re-reading April's thread (which I do remember!) .. maybe it's not worth it.

Sigh.....so friggin' frustrating. I have tried so many leather jackets over the years. It's clear to me I need a petite, but also clear that petite manufacturers are cutting corners to keep costs down.

I will give the charcoal or kitty litter a try, but I do fear it's hopeless because it's in the leather, not on it.

shiny

Veteran

P.s. for April - NO I cannot live with this odor. Not even a faint whiff. It's obnoxious. Like an old musty book from a library, only stronger. Is that what yours smelled like?

When I took it out of the package, though it looked nice and brand new, I couldn't help think that someone had a pile of old musty leather laying around, and decided to make jackets out of it.

For the record, I ordered a pleather jacket -- completely synthetic - from Nordstrom's last spring and it had the exact same odor. It also fit poorly, so it only took me about 2 seconds to pack it right back up for return... I have held on to this AT one for a week simply because it actually fits.

It is *so* rare for me to find a real leather jacket that fits.

RB

Altering the jacket at the waist would be a major alteration and I don't think it would be worth it. You'd have to open up or remove the lining to get at the seam. While it is easy to shorten the zip you have to do it at the top on a separating zipper, so you would have to completely remove the zip from above the alteration point and shorten it (which has the advantage of the zip matching the other zips on the jacket).

Also you would need to check where any vertical seams (it looks like it has princess seams that run the length of the jacket) and the angle of the zip and make sure that by taking in the waist that those seams and zip angle would still line up. Is there any top-stitching in the jacket? Make sure that the alterations people have a matching thread (often things like thread and zips are specifically dyed for designers and manufacturers so can be hard to get an exact match. The other thing that you'd need to check is what effect shortening at the waist would have on the pockets - is there enough room above the pocket? and where would they end up.

My gut feeling is that you may have to spend a lot of money altering the jacket to fit and it might not work.

pirouette

As a fellow petite I completely understand your desperation to keep one of these jackets as being petite makes finding clothes quite a challenge. But I agree with Angie that the first jacket is too long. If you can't get rid of the smell of the second one I would return it. I have so many clothes that I bought that weren't quite right at the time but I was so desperate I convinced myself that I could live with the imperfection. However I never wore them and ended up with loads of clothes and nothing to wear. Since joining YLF I have learned lots of valuable information but I think the most important is to be patient and eventually you will find the perfect jacket.

unfrumped

Veteran

Jacket# 2 for fit. Even if you got a longer jacket style, I think it would be a smidge shorter and boxier.
Do not settle re: smell. You could re- order same jacket in case it is a fluke. Also read any new reviews .

Crown By Born Crown by Børn 'Danine' Pump

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Diana

Veteran

I think the fit is far, far better on the AT. That bunching thing on the Veda happens all the time on me because I'm so short waisted. It's basically extra length that gets caught up on your butt shelf. Sizing up might help, but in my experience it generally just results in the rest of the jacket being too big and I still get bunching.

But I also cannot deal with strong smells, so I'd say return both. PPP!

It could be either the dye or the tanning process used on the leather that causes that skunky smell. It's really hard to kill, so I'd bd very wary of keeping it. Plus a lot of times it gets stronger when the garment warms up (like when you're wearing it).

rae

(website)

Veteran

I guess I am in the minority! Have you tried regular cropped jackets? I find they are never truly cropped on me. They may fit in the torso, and then all you have to do is shorten the sleeves. I feel your frustration. :T

shiny

Veteran

Wow, such great input!

RB - that was exactly the sort of detailed alteration information I was looking for. Based on your input, by raising up the waist seam in the back about 3-4 inches. I do think this could be successfully altered -- but it'd probably be dropping some major $. In which case, I might as well expand my search to include brands in the next $ tier, though I'm dubious because the higher end the designer, the taller & slimmer the people they tend to design for, or so it seems to me.

Dianna - that settles it, the AT is going back! I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try an exchange first, in event I just got one from a bad tanning lot. Assuming it hasn't sold out.

Rae - yes, a cropped jacket is ideal for me as it usually hits me as a regular sized jacket. Unfortunately, I am not seeing all that many cropped styles these days.

I really like the Veda brand so I will just cross my fingers that they come out with a cropped style that works better.