Review: H&M Coat, Eastward Dress Coat, Frilled Echelons Peacoat,

Florida is finally experiencing some cold weather so it's time to break out the winter coats! A few months ago, I wrote about a few of my favorites. Since then, I'd been able to purchase them (I love sales!) Here are the reviews for each one. (For reference, I am 5'3", 115 pounds, 26" waist, and usually a size 0/2 or XS.)

H&M Coat

Purchase price: $59.95 (original price)

Size: 4

Grade: A

I am usually a size 4 in H&M clothing (I think they run a bit small), so I'd say this jacket fits true to size. I originally wanted the grey version, but the smallest size they had in the store was an 8. I tried it on anyway, but it was a bit too big, so I opted for the black version instead. I can't complain. I still think the jacket looks great even in the black color. The reason I'm leaning a bit more towards the grey color is because I think you can see all the wonderful details better, such as the bow belt and the collar, which I think is the best part of the coat. It does take a bit to work with to get it to lay just so, but it's not that big a deal. The price is relatively inexpensive but there's a reason for that. John often teases me that my winter coats are just for fashion and do not provide any actual warmth. In the case of this jacket, I'd say he is correct. It's a polyester/viscose blend with a pretty pinkish/mauve polyester lining. With that said however, I think this jacket suffices for Florida winters. The weather was in the 50s yesterday and I wore this jacket over a sleeveless dress and it kept me warm. So if you live anywhere up north, this will probably be your fall coat rather than your winter coat. The buttons are just cheap snap buttons that are poorly sewn on, so that also accounts for the cheap price. I will most likely have to reinforce them soon. But the coat does come with a couple extra buttons in case you lose any. The sleeves are bell sleeves, but they are not too poofy at all. The belt is just an elasticized belt that at first, seemed a bit tight, but now that I've worn it out for a day, it's broken in a bit. I am 5'3" and as you can see, the coat hits me right at the knees. I wore this out yesterday for the first time to a retirement luncheon with some coworkers, then out to Target to run some errands, and then to a Christmas dinner at John's school, and I got compliments EVERYWHERE I went. I've never received so many compliments on a coat before, so I was really pleased about that. Overall, a very cute and stylish lightweight coat. A classic look with just the right amount of details to keep it trendy (and to elicit compliments from strangers on the street :)

Anthroplogie Eastward Dress Coat

Purchase price: $79.95 (originally $288)

Size: XS

Grade: B

When I bought this coat at $79.95, I thought that was such steal. However, a few days before Black Friday, Anthropologie was having an additional 25% off sale. I was tempted to repurchase this coat at the discounted rate and just return the one I had, but I knew on Black Friday they were going to have an additional 50% off sale, so I decided to wait. Unfortunately, by that time, they only had size large left (what a bummer! That would have been amazing to get this coat for only $40, especially since it was originally almost $300!) Anyway, like I said before, this coat does have a boxy shape to it. It's not meant to be fitted, which I'm not used to because I always like tailored, fitted clothing. But I can appreciate the A-line shape of this coat as it reminds me of a 60s swing coat or something Jackie Kennedy would have worn. I love that kind of retro styling. This is a great little coat to wear over your dresses. Not sure yet if I'd wear it over jeans, but we'll see. A lot of the online customer reviews said they didn't like the collar because it was too stiff or wrinkled or itchy. The wrinkled part I can agree with (as you can see, it doesn't lay like the stock photo above, but I think over time the wrinkles will come out), but I did not think it was too itchy. I still think the color and arrow detail are great. The sleeves are meant to be a 3/4 length, but on me they almost look like full sleeves. Again, this coat will probably only be practical in Florida winters because of the length of the sleeves, but it's nothing a sweeter worn underneath or some gloves can't fix. The material is a bit more substantial than the H&M coat as it's made of 50% wool/50% acrylic. The snap buttons are also better sewn on on this coat, and I don't think they look cheap at all despite what some other online reviewers have mentioned. Overall, I'm very excited to wear this coat with all my dresses!

Anthropologie Frilled Echelons Peacoat

Purchase price: $79.95 (originally $148)

Size: 2

Grade: A

I was so excited when this jacket finally went on sale. As soon as I saw the sale price, I headed on over to my local Anthropologie and purchased it. I originally bought the size 0, mainly because I like a more fitted look but also because the sales associate told me she thought the 0 looked better on me than the 2. However, upon returning home with the coat and trying it on with a sweater, I felt like that kid from the movie A Christmas Story, where his mom stuffs him in all these layers of sweaters and jackets.

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This is not a good look. So I went back to the store and thankfully, they still had the size 2 (this coat did not stay on the sale rack long). I really love this coat because I think it works with both dresses and jeans. I've worn it mostly with jeans and tall riding boots, but I think it could also work with heels. Basically, this is a very versatile coat. I love the moss color. The turquoise version of this coat was also nice, but moss is really more of a color I like to wear - very muted and can be paired with many other colors. The best part of this coat is the collar - I love the way it lays. It's so interesting and simply different from other coats that I've seen. I don't think that the ruffles are overwhelming at all and I actually quite like them. Even though you can't see it, the lining is a pretty blend of butterflies and polka dots. Little details like that (although unseen) are just some of the fun things I come to expect and look forward to with Anthropologie clothing - it's really all about the details! Similar to the Eastward Dress Coat above, this jacket is a wool/polyester blend and does keep you warm. The size 2 allowed enough room for a thick sweater, but still had that nice fitted look that I like. Again, I think this is my favorite coat out of the three.