Well, I missed the heated discussion here today, but I would have echoed Kcanshop and Sylvie - it's not dressy, it's not a trench, it's not your dominant season.

And then I'd have said, if you are really lusting for it, TRY IT ON!!

It looks great, but 1,000 for a polyester coat makes me a little cranky, especially because they could have made that silhouette just as sleek and filled it with some goose down. It definitely would have short season for me in WI, so I think you should pass. You can find a better option for 1,000! (Notice I'm not discouraging you from spending the money :).

I'm a fan of Nau - I'm not sure if that's too sporty, but I think they make some great looking functional "puffers" and jackets. I think they are quite fashionable, but I don't know if they are UWP.

I. will. not. talk. you. out. of. this. coat!!! Period, end of story, finished.

You do not want a classic Burberry trench; you already have Alaska winter gear coats (or you wouldn't have survived this long.) This coat is the transitional piece that works like a trench would in a more moderate climate but with waaaay more sass and attitude than a trench.

On the practical side, the coat, of course, must fit perfectly to be worth that amount of cash. And I'd also check out what I could layer under it and over it-- I'm thinking a vest could increase the warmth but still keep that UWP vibe.

Can you tell I want that coat for myself. I'm checking my bank account as I speak.

I am in the "If you're getting your first Burberry, then it should be a classic trench" camp. This one is cool but it looks a little too trendy IMO.

Incidentally, I have already promised myself a Burberry trench - in BLACK, not beige! - when I get a real faculty job. I told my mom and she tried to convince me that it HAD to be beige. So there are different levels to this "classic trench" camp.

This looks so more you than a regular trench BUT is it practical for your climate? How often would you wear it? I could see this working for a dressier look with skirts & boots etc. - a less extreme version of that English/eclectic vibe of wearing their all weather jackets over ball gowns. I'd love to see it on you.

The "classic" Burberry trench that lasts for decades is, in my opinion, a myth. I've owned two "classic" Burberry trenches-- one bought in the 80s and the other in the mid-nineties. Both ended up in the recycle, not consignment, bag because they became very dated looking after I'd worn them for 8-10 seasons--which is actually not bad for an item of clothing.

My theory is that, if you buy an expensive coat, you should buy one that you will wear over and over again for the next 4 or 5 years, with maybe a couple of years thrown in at the end. To me, that makes spending $1000 tolerable if I think of it as costing me $200 a year, or $50 a month if I can wear it at least 4 months of the year. That's how I work out the math and, if I truly love the item, is totally worth it. Anything extra is gravy.

Can you wear it regularly for the next ten years? If so, it's worth it.

But... I'm not convinced puffers will be around that long. They've already lasted much longer than I thought they would. And while the fact that the bottom zips off might seem like an advantage, it means the two parts would age differently and eventually start looking silly together.

So really, I think your money would be better spent elsewhere.

How am I doing? ;o)

Then again, if you traveled a lot, this coat would be brilliant... because of the zipper making it two coats in one...

First, it needs to be pointed out that one person's "classics" are not everyone's classics. Una pointed out why the classic Burberry trench doesn't work for her, so buying what the majority sees as "classic Burberry" would be pointless.

You have been coveting Burberry quilted forever now. Short, long, whatever. I am not sure this is a desire that is going away, and this coat would cover the long and short bases. Additionally, for many people the look in a discount version is never the same as the real thing. Somewhere in the back of your head you know that it doesn't matter how much it might look like what you wanted; but it ISN'T what you wanted, and so you will never value it as much. A cheaper version is almost guaranteed to end up in a donation pile soon.

This coat is classically Una, from everything I've seen of your style. It is convertible, doubling its wearability. And even if the two pieces are worn different amounts of time, provided you have both parts cleaned together, it is unlikely they will age differently and not match. I don't think you are going to be satisfied until you have a quilted Burberry of some sort. If this is "the coat", don't wait for it to be gone, and don't try to put yourself into someone else's idea of what "classic" or "Burberry" means. I think you will be sorry if you do not at least try this coat.

Echo is right imo - I don't "know" you so well but this looks like you. If you love it & wear it for years & can afford it - well!

Okay. Talking down here. It's Polyester! For $1000 it ought to have at least 20% undercoat armpit hairs of a Himalayan goat or something. Or do the dishes. Step away from the zipper....

Just sayin'

If you work outside the home, how many hours of your labor would it cost to own that coat? Do you love it that much?

It is gorgeous. It is cool with lots of attitude. And it is not really that expensive, I bought a classic wool for 500 when I first finished college. It still is used and is still in closet.

This coat will not age or go out of style. You know you can afford it. I would get it.

To me it comes down to two things--1, is the polyester instead of down warm enough? And 2, will this coat be a joy or a burden? Here is the thing. You have a great look (especially lately with your current hair do!) but I have the impression somehow that you are someone who is more likely to bore of things and to want to move on to something new. That's not meant as a judgement at all, just I think there are different types. Some people will wear the same look for 20 years with little adjustments and some people like to change often. It could be that two years from now you just don't love this as much but will feel obligated to keep it because of the price. Do you often keep and love things for 4-5 years (that's the time frame I would focus on if you think you will wear this often)? Alternatively if you really enjoy it for two years and then want to move on can you happily kiss it good bye and send it on into the wider world? This to me is the problem with "investment" pieces. There is the obligation to stick with them, and you have to really know yourself to make this decision.

I am firmly NOT of the mindset that one must get a classic trench in order to be "allowed" to buy Burberry. You don't like classic. You don't like belted. So a classic Burberry trench would not make sense in any way.

I think you are like me - you fell in love with Burberry for their NON-classic designs, like this one. If Burberry didn't make edgy stuff like this, you might not even care about the brand at all.

I also think that your versions of dressy are different from what others view as such. I have never been to Alaska, but from what you say, it is very casual. As someone who spends a lot of time around California (known for CA casual) beach towns (even more casual on top of casual), I know a little about that... Super dressy may be just as impractical for you as a classic beige trench.

My opinion? I still dig it, and I personally do think the long version is dressy enough for your daily lawyer wear in Alaska. I think it matches the level of dressiness of your work outfits that I've seen. As for the money, I can't say.

What I can say, though, is that there is a Burberry store at South Coast Plaza, which we plan to hit up during YLF Oktoberfest. Just... sayin'.

ETA: I am still not arguing for OR against buying. Just after my Anthro jacket fail, I've become a bit jaded with the whole concept of lusting after a picture, you know?

I'm in the camp that says try it on. If you fall instantly in love, it's worth it. If you still have doubt, walk away.

It looks awesome. But is it warm enough? For the same price, you can get a very sleek AND warm Canada Goose coat for your dominant season. Considering your financial goals right now, I'd pass.

The coat is divine, AG. No other coatmaker does quilting like Burberry, period. There is nothing comparable out there. So you have to try it on.
I am a complete enabler where a beautiful coat is concerned, so the following is probably not the voice of reason, I blush to say.However, I do believe you deserve to feel like blogger Nadia in her Zac Posen coat (pics below taken June 2012) when you put on your Burberry. I have the exact same Zac Posen coat as Nadia. It is unquestionably the flagship of my wardrobe fleet. Note the insanely fabulous silhouette, it has a construction like nothing I have ever seen before or since, and the quality of the finish is evident to even the untrained eye. Your Burberry crush also has to my eye a similarly unique look. My Zac Posen came out about 4 years ago - yet I still feel drop dead stylish when I put it on. No way do I feel dated in it.
Now, this same model coat has actually APPRECIATED in price since it was issued - I saw a very beaten-up example on eBay recently for $2,900 – (and it was even missing its belts) -stratospherically over the original purchase price! But you see, this model is no longer available anymore through normal outlets, so it has become a rarity. In short, if you look after your Burberry coat well, and hang on to it until all the original edition is sold… if you then get sick of it, you should be able to consign it or eBay it for a very tidy sum! Win/win!

Hi Una! Congrats on the fun money! I come at these things from a different angle, so just some thoughts. I'm all about using $$$ to get exactly what you want. But from my point of view, the less $$$ you spend on any one item means more $$$ to spend on others - win/win as someone said

First, about the poly fill - i am certain you have technical equipment people up there with mad skillz, considering the resources we have here in the Bay Area. Ask around for a faboo one and get a quote on a knock off with down fill if you like. Plenty of amazing and technically outstanding zippers are for sale on the web for that matter, so you can add the perfect touch on the details. You can have perfect fit, secret pockets where you want em, etc.

And i'm not sure about the thinking here......was it i have $1K so what looks good for that price? Or did you nail down a true wardrobe hole/need/workhorse, define your criteria, and then go looking at all lprice ranges for the piece that fits your criteria perfectly? You do not HAVE to spend all you $$$. It's quite possible to find your dream item for much less (or a little less, or a lot more!).

This statement of yours gave me pause: "" At the same time, I could easily spend that amount on 20 mediocre items that end up getting purged down the road, KWIM? "" i don't know if this is something that you still end up doing regularly. But for myself i would not buy high end if i still was getting 'misses' a lot buying at lower price points. Just because it's $1k doesn't automatically make it perfect (please disregard this paragraph if it's not applicable

Lastly - if you have TAHT much $$$, why not book a bare bones cheepy weekend to SF or wherever and go shopping in person? If you want to hit SF and don't mind commuting on BART and sleeping on a couch, you're welcome to stay at my place. Once you add in all the shipping for trying on various pieces in your home, the humongously more large inventory you'd have access to in the flesh, and the mondo YLF meetup we'd have, it'd be a very wise investment.

Just some thoughts - Have Fun with this one! These type of experiences don't come along all that often, as we all know, so enjoy, lady! steph

p.s. fun blog post about riri zippers:
http://www.fashionismurder.com/tag/riri-zippers/

Wow, thanks for all the input! It's been enlightening to read all the different perspectives on this issue, and there is so much wisdom here.

Rae is correct that I don't want a classic Burberry trench. It's the combination of classic and edge that appeals to me with this coat.

Scarlet, I do have a history of being fickle, but I'm trying to change that by buying only what I love. The Theory blazer I got this summer really set a new standard for me in terms of what I expect in terms of the "happiness factor" now. That was the basis for my giant purge this weekend - looking at the happiness factor, a lot of items in my closet are not holding up to it and deserve better homes.

Steph, I should have said "would have" not "could". I'm no longer willing to compromise or be all over the place in my purchasing. The suggestion of getting something made is a brilliant one, but I don't have the time or the energy to seek out the right tailor and go through all the details. It's why I gave up on a bespoke suit. We are looking into redoing our kitchen, and that is already sending me over the edge!

You're also right about the travel - that's the biggest thing that's holding me back, the idea that this coat is the price of a ticket somewhere (like L.A. - how I would love to get there...) or SF to see you!

LBG, that is a stunning coat. I would love to see you in it. I actually want everything I buy to make me that happy from now on!

The warmth factor is a possible issue, but this would not be a substitute for my real down puffer - it would be an alternative to my dressy winter coat. Rae has hit it on the head - I guess this isn't dressy elsewhere, but here it would be dressy enough for any setting I'm ever in, and if I need to be dressier than that, I have a long formal-ish coat.

Consider me talked down! I think I'm going to wait to see if anyone can scope out the quality and fit at the CA meeting (*looks at Rae with Disney eyes*) before making any rash decisions.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

This is both the blessing and the bane of brick-and-mortar vs. on-line items. The good side of real-time trying on is that when you can see things in person, you can tell more not only about the quality, but whether the feel and fabric and so on just really speak to you, or even if it if fits at all, vs. whether as Rae said, if it's all fluff, if it's a dog in reality, or even just not up to snuff, you instantly lose your item-envy that the photo-shopped pictures evoked, and you can move on. The down side is that if you can actually try it on, and it really speaks to you, and it's the bomb, it's even harder to walk away!