Help me find a warm coat for my small self.

October 16, 2012 2:20 PM

Please help me find a WARM winter coat for a VERY petite woman.

I am 4'11" and 90 lbs. I usually wear a size 00, XS is too big and sometimes Petite XS is too big. My shoulders are very narrow, and my arms are pretty short.

I am looking for a seriously warm coat that will last me awhile. I will mostly be going for walks in the coat, sometimes just standing outside; nothing terribly physical. Temps where I live may be anywhere from -10 to teens.

What I've done in the past is wait until after christmas to buy a down coat from Abercrombie+Fitch on sale. Stores like A+F that cater to teenagers fit me great and the XS is small enough for me. However, the coats are poor quality and fall apart after a couple years, plus they aren't terribly warm.

Brands such as the North Face are generally too big as well, and any regular XS coat will presumably too big in the shoulders and the arms.

I thought I lucked out with this coat from Eddie Bauer in petite XS, but when it arrived I was so disappointed to find that it was far too big in both the shoulders and the arms, even with a sweater underneath. So I ordered this coat from LL Bean and same issue!

Does anyone have any suggestions? Ideally I'd like a waterproof down coat like the ones linked but at this point I really can't be picky. Normally I would just buy a kid's coat but I find the quality to be lacking. I need something quite warm. Any suggestions are greatly, greatly appreciated.

posted by pintapicasso to clothing, beauty, & fashion (16 answers total)

Why don't you get child's coat, from a company that just sizes them down from quality adult coats? This one from North Face looks totally adult.
posted by Kololo at 2:26 PM on October 16, 2012 [3 favorites]

Have you tried other styles from LL Bean? I'm about your size and have this one. It fits decently well and is very very warm.

I can't speak to the warmth, but J. Crew now has Petite XXS and Petite 00 sizing. One that may work.
posted by oinopaponton at 2:27 PM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'd look at something like this LLBean down coat for girls.
posted by belladonna at 3:07 PM on October 16, 2012

How much do you want to spend? Canada Goose parkas are stupidly warm, and do 2XS sizing for women (ie this one). They run at around $700 though.
posted by modernnomad at 3:12 PM on October 16, 2012

J. Crew's petite sizes are really and truly petite, with shorter arms and narrower sleeve caps + cross backs (like, at a proportionate 5'2" J. Crew petite arms are often too short for me). The quality is decent (though overpriced for what it is, but what isn't?). Given your givens and barring having something made, they'd probably be my first choice.
posted by peachfuzz at 3:13 PM on October 16, 2012

Athleta has XXS clothing that is, in my experience, truly XXS/00. They have a couple of down parkas right now. The quality varies but they have a great return policy so it's not a big risk.

Regular Eddie Bauer XS is stupidly huge, but their First Ascent line is cut much smaller and many styles come in petite XS; also, the quality is much higher. I'm a petite 0 in most things and some of their XS is too big, but some, like the down sweater, is right on the line between just right and too small, so maybe it would work for you.

Also agreeing with J. Crew having good petites. Their Thinsulate-lined wool coats are really warm--depending on your climate, they could sub for a down parka.
posted by HotToddy at 3:16 PM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

Have you tried Lands' End? I find their petite sizes to be smaller than either Eddie Bauer or LL Bean. I'm about your size and have last year's version of this coat and love it. It's not waterproof, but it definitely kept me toasty warm last winter.
posted by emilyanemone at 3:20 PM on October 16, 2012

I also have slim shoulders, and I've honestly just resorted to layering to make things fit.
posted by snickerdoodle at 3:21 PM on October 16, 2012

Seconding Eddie Bauer First ascent line if the XS petite looks like it will fit you. The wife and I own 5 pieces of this gear combined and thus far have nothing but praise for it.
posted by Quack at 3:23 PM on October 16, 2012

MEC has good quality youths clothing in reasonable colours and styles.
posted by Cuke at 4:43 PM on October 16, 2012

Mrs. cnc is only a little bigger than you are, and children's clothing (that doesn't look like children's clothing) is the way to go. The bonus is that it's often cheaper than the adult equivalent. I don't have specific recommendations, but she's got some great looking wool coats that fit just fine.
posted by cnc at 5:02 PM on October 16, 2012

I'm 4'11" and I was 90 lbs, now I'm about 100. Anyway, I live in the frozen tundra and I wear a North Face XS all winter. Marmot is also a good, high quality brand for our size. I'd also check into Mountain Hardwear and Patagonia. AVOID Columbia and Land's End; you'll be swimming in both and the first won't last you very long.
posted by desjardins at 5:45 PM on October 16, 2012

I am an inch taller and not much larger than you and loved my XS Marmot Montreaux when I lived in cold, dark Sweden. It was even a bit tight around my chest and butt with long sweaters that were very thick. I just checked my receipt from last year and only paid $200 on sale.
posted by halogen at 7:56 PM on October 16, 2012

I am just a tiny bit bigger than you and wear XXS or OOP; I'd wear a XXXS if I could find it. I don't find Lands End petite stuff to be small enough except a few things like skirts and tshirts in the Canvas line. I have this coat from the North Face and I love it. It might be worth trying it on if you haven't--I find all their fleece jackets and rain coats to be too big, but the winter coat fits nicely, especially once you've got a sweater or other bulky layer on. You want some room to layer!
posted by min at 5:13 AM on October 17, 2012

Not all recent Lands' End kids' coats are great, but the most expensive, which are not that expensive, have been very good here...

I vehemently disagree with

[J. Crew] Their Thinsulate-lined wool coats are really warm--depending on your climate, they could sub for a down parka.

(I am the Canadian owner of a Thinsulated "lady day coat," and that thing comes out in early autumn, and then a handful of times when I go somewhere too posh for parkas and I am okay with freezing on the dash from the car to the theatre or whatever. It is a nice coat, and I bet their petite 00 would be a good fit, but it is just not up to scratch warmth-wise, and the quality doesn't match the price)

I knowingly bought a fake Canada Goose parka (ta eBay), and got (after removing the logo patches with a seam ripper) exactly what I wanted, which was a longer down parka with a tonne of fill and sturdy exterior in an XXS size, for under $150. My only complaint is that the sleeves could be a tiny bit longer (I'm 5'4"). This was a little while back so I can't recommend a specific vendor (look for a seller in the Orient with low prices; search for parkas and dig around as the brand may not be specified in text but just shown in the pix) but, it is a potentially decent route to go if you are okay with that sort of fiddle.
posted by kmennie at 5:48 AM on October 17, 2012

Another vote for Marmot. I am exactly your size and have the Marmot Chelsea coat in XS. It fits perfectly: sleeves are the right length, waist is in the right place, &c. It's down-filled and so warm that I can get away without a heavy sweater underneath (in Chicago!), and it's long enough to keep my legs warm. But what I really love is that it has a very elegant & feminine cut -- I don't look like I'm wearing a kid's coat, and I don't look like the Michelin man! It was expensive but worth every penny.

(And I'd also echo the sentiment that Land's End is cut waaaay too long.)
posted by Westringia F. at 6:07 AM on October 20, 2012