<p>Sewhappy, that coat is so nice (and not a whole lot of damage to the bank acount).</p>
<p>(Now I have Bloomie’s coat ads all over CC :))</p>
<p>lol, I think these marketeers need to pay us for our fashion commentary.</p>
<p>My style tends to be jeans & fleece with doc martens/cowboy boots in the winter & converse in the summer- but I do like this coat.</p>
<p>[Swing</a> Coat WE321 Coats at Boden](<a href=“http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Womens-Coats-Jackets/Coats/WE321-LBR/Womens-Clay-Swing-Coat.html?NavGroupID=2]Swing”>http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Womens-Coats-Jackets/Coats/WE321-LBR/Womens-Clay-Swing-Coat.html?NavGroupID=2)</p>
<p>( I still have zappos ads for desert boots)
:)</p>
<p>Cute coat, Emerald. I think it would be fun in the yellow with jeans. </p>
<p>I tried on my faux-fur-on-the-inside coat at Bloomingdale’s yesterday. I think this thread has changed me. I kept asking myself – What would Bunsen think? Alumother? The venerable Gourmetmom? I know wnp would be nice about it but this coat kind of just doesn’t work!</p>
<p>It looks fabulous on the website but the sleeves are really narrow (and I don’t have large arms) and the hood doesn’t detach and makes me feel as if I have an animal hanging from the back of my neck. Disappointed.</p>
<p>anyone else notice that sleeves in general are narrower?
& I don’t think it is " fashion" that is making it that way. ( it is more common with less expensive clothing, with high end clothes I still wear a 4! lol)
I don’t have huge arms, but I like to layer shirts or sweaters/jackets under coats & while I am still able to find things to do that with, I often decide something I love otherwise is just too squeezy. ( and going up in size doesn’t make a difference- what do the generously sized women do?)</p>
<p>sewhappy, I often find myself in a similar situation: I love how something looks on the web and order it only to find that it doesn’t look anywhere near that nice on me. Last week I ordered a fabulous looking wrap dress and ended up returning it (and I almost always look good in wrap dresses!).</p>
<p>Oh, darn, Sewhappy! I thought that coat was the ticket. No Michelin Man look but lots of warmth. Well, at least I won’t feel cheated. Hey, maybe that gorgeous red coat wouldn’t be so great in real life!</p>
<p>Agree about the sleeves in coats. Remember my ongoing love affair with my ancient black coat?? That is one of the reasons I love it. The sleeves are much more generous than newer coats. And for some reason, it doesn’t look big and bulky. </p>
<p>So your search goes on. Keep us posted!</p>
<p>EK - I love that coat in the mustard. Not my usual color, but very striking in that style.</p>
<p>I’m going to a “Zebra Soiree” this weekend. (We are invited to wear black or white, but I know for a fact that my friend who is on the board of the charity is out looking for zebra striped socks and handkerchiefs.) I was at the store to get dh a black shirt to wear with his silk jacket (It’s gray, he says, no it’s black and white say I). Anyway, I was at Sears and saw a whole slew of zebra fabric dresses all for under $40. (I later saw some of the same ones at Macy’s for $69.) They didn’t look too bad, but they were definitely way too young - I’ll just wear my standard go to black dress and carry a zebra clutch.</p>
<p>Here are some of the dresses I tried on: [Sears:</a> Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more](<a href=“http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_031J8305000P?mv=rr&i_cntr=1318436939025]Sears:”>http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_031J8305000P?mv=rr&i_cntr=1318436939025)
[Sears:</a> Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more](<a href=“http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00000000000000003883000000000000000000FMP?sid=IDx20101019x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM2112522601]Sears:”>http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00000000000000003883000000000000000000FMP?sid=IDx20101019x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM2112522601)</p>
<p>Naturally I can’t find a link to the one that looked the best on me. Spaghetti strap black sequin top, pink sash, zebra bubble skirt. It was tempting.</p>
<p>I agree about the sleeves. I ordered a nice sweater jacket that someone recommended on this thread. I like it, but the sleeves are really tight. I really don’t think I have fat arms, though they are definitely fatter or more muscled than when I was in my twenties. (Probably both.)</p>
<p>Hehehe. Honored to accompany you on shopping expeditions:). Even if it is just my avatar. Learning to recognize your style in action, vs. in your mind’s eye, is so comforting, I find.</p>
<p>Mathmom, I’m jealous. I want to go to a Zebra Soiree.</p>
<p>Those Sears dresses are very cute.</p>
<p>Zebra Soiree? Sounds like a lot of fun! We got invites to two weddings. Oh, dear. I’m so glad I can shop in my closet! :)</p>
<p>Zebra soiree sounds like a hoot. I’d go with the second dress–the first does not seem “zebraie” (i.e., not enough zebra stripes)–and I bet it would be a hit.</p>
<p>I only have to wear black and white not zebra stripes, but who knew there were so many zebra options this year! I did get a zebra cardigan to wear with my little black dress. My husband will have a zebra striped necktie with his black shirt.</p>
<p>Fun. I bet everyone will look great.</p>
<p>Speaking of zebras, I saw a woman in the Charlotte airport this summer who had on a zebra print dress, carried a zebra bag, pulled a zebra suitcase, and had zebra shoes on. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to catch a plane or if she had been cut from the herd and was being chased by a lion.</p>
<p>What’s the rule? I have an old D&B giraffe-print purse and I love it. Can I wear it with my vaguely snakeskin print cotton sweater? Or will I look like the Wild Kingdom?</p>
<p>^ I don’t know what the general rule is but my own personal guideline is only one piece of animal print at a time. I apply the same rule to other accessories - for example, a large necklace or flashy earrings stand alone and any additional jewelry is intentionally very basic. Too distracting when you have too much going on at the same time, IMHO.</p>
<p>I’m posting from my iPhone and can’t easily locate the link. There was a recent article saying that it is Ok to mix animal prints, but it does depend on the prints and the items involved.</p>
<p>[Jersey</a> Brooch Dress - New Arrivals Dresses - RalphLauren.com](<a href=“http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11931279&pg=1&fbn=Division|Women|See+All&002=2173203&007=Search&006=6727572937&005=19551961417&004=1858804177&utm_campaign=Brand%2BBroad%2BRL&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&kw=dresses&f=PAD%2FDivision%2FWomen&parentPage=search]Jersey”>http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11931279&pg=1&fbn=Division|Women|See+All&002=2173203&007=Search&006=6727572937&005=19551961417&004=1858804177&utm_campaign=Brand%2BBroad%2BRL&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&kw=dresses&f=PAD%2FDivision%2FWomen&parentPage=search)</p>
<p>I’ve decided to go with black strappy sandals, similar to the pic. Don’t want to spend more money on shoes. I’ll wear my ‘diamond’ hoop earrings. Feels like I need something around my neck. The model doesn’t wear a necklace, but I must confess my neck isn’t as long and lean. Maybe I’m just more accustomed to wearing a necklace when I wear a v-neck…Doesn’t the dress need understated accessories? .Necklace or not?</p>
<p>No necklace, not with that brooch. Unless you wore small studs for earrings, and a collar-type necklace. You want to balance the proportions and locations of your jewelry, especially because the dress and shoes will be such a simple backdrop.</p>
<p>Agree with Alumother: the brooch is already the focal point, so a necklace will throw things out of balance. Sometimes, a new pair of shoes does not make sense, but we surely had fun looking for a pair of shoes for you! ;)</p>
<p>I could not find the promised article on the art of mixing animal prints. :(</p>