Rating: 8/10
Price: $378 (often on sale for much less)
It's another cold, snowy day here in NYC, and I decided to give a plug to one of my favorite coats ever - the J. Crew Lady Day Coat. The LDC is a classic style that J. Crew has been carrying for years. It's pretty pricey, but I was lucky to get a good deal on it. During the holidays J. Crew offers 30% off your order throughout most of the season, and in the winter they often have 30 - 40% off outerwear sales. Combine that with a gift card I had, and I think I paid around $200 for it. Full price is $378, but probably still worth it at that price.
Likes - This coat comes in a ton of colors. I have the color pictured above, and I constantly get compliments on it. Seriously, people have stopped me on the street to tell me how much they like the color. Other than neutrals, the colors are seasonal, so don't expect to find this year's smoky coral color next year.
I also like that this coat is super warm. Initially, I was trying to decide if my money would be better spend on a down coat, but since I'm petite, I find that down coats overwhelm my frame and make me look like a little marshmallow walking down the street. Now that I have worn it out in the freezing weather this year, I realize that it is just as warm if not warmer than a down, and I still look put together when I wear it to job interviews, cocktail parties, etc.
For reference I wore this on a day that my iPhone app claimed it felt like -7 degrees outside, and I was warm and toasty. Granted I layered up by wearing a sweater and zip-up fleece underneath but even with just a cashmere or wool sweater underneath, I am usually warm when the temp hovers around 20 degrees.
Dislikes - I've got to keep it real and admit that the LDC is not perfect. The sizing runs a little small on the regular coats, and the petite sizing seems off. I usually wear a size 0 regular, but in the petite I sized up to the 6. I probably could have done the petite 4, but there was no room for layering with that size. I also found that the waist was a lot higher on the petite and that it was snug in the armholes and hips (I am hourglass shaped).
Online only is a huge dislike of mine. Considering that this is one of their most popular coats you would think they would sell it in at least a few stores. Living in NYC has a lot of perks one being that there's usually a flagship of every major clothing store here. I'm pretty surprised that no J. Crew in Manhattan carries this. I probably ordered three of four of these in different colors and sizes to find the right one. Right now it's being offered as final sale, and I would be cautious in ordering even when consulting the size chart.
Another issue I had was with the length. It hits just below my knees which isn't particularly flattering, but I guess it's good for cold days? Finally, I had a problem with the buttons. I felt like they weren't very sturdy, and they often come undone while I'm out and about. When wearing gloves, or mittens, it can be a pain to have to button it again.
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