I have two choices. I can either take my 7-year old black wool coat back to the tailor AGAIN to have it taken in, or I can buy myself a new winter coat.
I’m so tired of the black wool look. I do have a ridiculous faux-fur trimmed brown tie-belt coat that I got on the 75% off rack at TJ Maxx, but it’s also huge on me and probably needs to be retired. I also have an ancient, ugly khaki trench that depresses me every time I wear it (SO BLAH, SO OLD), and what I really want is a beautiful brown or charcoal coat that will keep me warm and be appropriate for funerals and professional engagements, and that can be spiffed up for my personal use with fun hats and scarves.
And yet I dream of something like this:
Unrealistic, of course. I have a warm, walking-the-dog down coat, and what I really need to do is invest in a new black wool and neutral trench. Why, oh why are decent plus-sized coats so damnably hard to find?
PB –
I too have been looking for years for a decent wool coat. I would love a camel coat, but all the racks are filled with every year are black and red coats. While I love red, and have had some great red wool coats in the past, it’s not the best color for a pastor at a funeral.
If anyone knows of a good source for coats, please write in!
I got a beautiful charcoal-grey wool coat at Macy’s a few years ago on an after-Christmas sale. (Really good deals then.) I wear that for funerals and somber professional stuff. But for everyday, I have a shorter, structured red wool coat which I love and wear to everything. It came from TJ Maxx. I live in a very grey-skies-all-winter area, and it perks me up to be a spot of color.
I bought a pinky-lilac winter coat a few years ago cheap at Marshall’s, and I’m always sooooooo glad not to be wearing a black coat when it’s early March and everything is grey. I think you should keep looking for a colorful coat that works!
Congratulations on needing to have the coat taken in.
BJ
What BJ said. And man oh man, I LOVE that little coat/jacket number! But where I live it would be a spring coat, since we all bundle up in hugh parka-like stuff in the winter. I do have a beautiful emerald green long wool coat. I think it was from good old JC Penny. It is, alas, too tight. 🙁
I’ve had good experiences finding good quality and a great selection of winter dress coats at Burlington Coat Factory. (I hope it’s a national chain….)
I like good ol’ LL Bean and Land’s End. There are some nice more formal and very warm options in and among the casual outdoorsy ones.