Friday, October 5, 2012

Review - Lands End Wool Pea Coat

Okay.  I am either absolutely stupid with money or CHEAP when I shop! 

I have hemmed and hawwed the entire last month about coats.  I ended up finding a fabulous black one at Winners that is dressier and longer ( I really need to take more pictures, though it has been too cold to wear it yet and I am so lazy!) and so I had talked myself out of the majesty peacoat at J Crew. (though now i see it is on promo this weekend!).

Then I got ANOTHER Lands End Catalogue  with the picture of their peacoat:




Sure, no brass buttons, but I have enjoyed the lands end down coats I have, there was a 30% off sale (since replaced by a 40% off sale today - damn!) and which came to $110 CDN and free shipping.

"Old Girl," I told myslf, "throw that dice.  The worst that can happen is that you send it back?  The best?  You get a lovely wool jacket for $130, taxes in..."

So the old girld threw the dice.

The jacket arrived yesterday and I was not disappointed.  In fact, I was ecstatic!

The material is as follows:

68% wool/20% nylon/12% recycled cashmere. What is recycled cashmere?  Goats who have been around the block?  Married several times?  Born-Again virgins?  Do tell!

It is not as heavy as the ill-fated J Crew pea coat of several years ago which I gave away.  But it actually feels about as warm and much more comfortable to wear.  I was worried it would be boxy on me, but in fact it was less boxy than the j crew that I gave away.  The buttons are fine and do not look cheap - they have a lovely swirly, tortoiseshell pattern about them.


The colour was EXACTLY as depicted on the website!  Hallelujia!




A side view, to help you get a sense of the length.  This came slightly above mid-thigh, although for a short person I do have long legs.  I ordered petite and I ordered up a size to a 10 as I wanted it to be able to wear either a blazer or heavy sweater under it. The 8 would have been fine, but I am glad I went up a size as I am wearing a blazer under it in the picture and I do not like things tight and there is no sense of bulk at all.

The shot from behind:



It comes in some lovely colours...

Classic silhouette, affordable luxury


And of course, Lands End is offering 40% off any one item until October 9th.  I am tempted to order the charcoal as a backup now that I know how flattering this is!  Or the green!  Or the garnet!!!

Don't know if this will help or confuse your decisions with J Crew's outerwear sale right now, but I cannot recommend this enough.  No - it isn't heavy like I associate with a traditional pea coat, but it isn't cheap and lightweight like some I have seen at local shops.  It is a coat of substance in some lovely colours!  I assume some of their other colours are of equal quality, so you may want to take a look!

Have a great day and stay safe out there!







43 comments:

  1. I love this coat on you, it is perfect! I thought the gold buttons on pink Majesty coat were jarring, I like these better. But I think if you order another one you will regret it, why not reorder the same one at the lower price, better yet, ask for price adjustment.

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  2. well done Wendy! my Ralph Lauren (collection) pea jacket is 5 or 6 years old, still going strong, has those buttons! Happy wearing!

    why not have it in both the 8 and the 10, for heavy days and not-so-heavy days?

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  3. I may get the charcoal in 8! It sounds like we are having a feminine hygiene conversation!

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  4. oh, btw, found the post I was looking for re: your discussion of the inner life of vegetables.

    http://thewhiningdiner.blogspot.com/2011/06/week-or-two-of-healthy-vegetarian-diet.html

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    1. I finally got a chance to look at this and it is SO funny! I was laughing especially about Dani worrying about her liver in France! About every third letter between Julia Child and Avis DeVoto is about one or the other's liver - too much wine, too much cheese, too many sauces! Paul Child appears especially prone - I can only imagine how much he partook of all of the goodies our Julia prepared!

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  5. Now THAT is your color! I am dissatisfied with the buttons on my Lands End Canvas peacoat. It is navy blue and the buttons are navy blue with tonal anchors on them. I have been meaning to replace the buttons with gold ones. I like the buttons they've put on your pink coat (presumably no anchors?).

    Wikipedia lists these as the types of cashmere wool:

    Raw - fiber that has not been processed and is essentially straight from the animal

    Processed - fiber that has been through the processes of de-hairing, washing, carding, and is ready either to spin or to knit/crochet/weave

    Virgin - new fiber made into yarns, fabrics, or garments for the first time

    Recycled - fibers reclaimed from scraps or fabrics that were previously woven or felted, and may or may not have been previously used by the consumer

    There, I learned something new today lol!

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  6. No anchors! I don't think I could anchors - would feel like Kirk douglas in 20,000 leagues under the sea! Thanks for the info on recycled, though married and divorced would have been so much fun!

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    1. I liked your speculations better!

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    2. The "around the block" comment made me laugh out loudly!

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  7. Wow, the coat is stunning on you. The color! the fit! Love it. I got burned by the 30%/40% promo, too... I am reordering the shoes I bought previously so I can save that extra 10%. Love their return policy. I am eying the swing car coat... the colors are so luscious and I am glad to hear the material is nice. Good old Land's End!

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    1. Hiya!

      I am crazily looking at the gorgeous navy and blue velvet loafers! Someone stop me! It isn't the price - whichever pair I chose would be cheap as dirt - I am just deperately afraid I am going to turning into Prince Edward (as of Wallis and Edward) and it can only be a moment or two before i buy a smoking jacket!

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    2. I can't stop you, they are adorable- but only with tapered pants and a Hepburn-esque sweater!( Otherwise, you run less of risk of looking like the POW and more of looking like you forgot to change into your shoes!) I have a wide foot, and sometimes I feel that the cloth shoes don't stretch enough for my taste, but I love the look. The coat is gorgeous- and how nice to find a coat that you layer comfortably.You probably can't go wrong with a neutral, too. Just change the buttons on one, and you won't feel like you have the same coat. I love leather buttons o charcoal!

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    3. Great idea! I do think I need the neutral, too. Rationalization, thy name is Wendy!

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    4. Oh and I forgot to ask - what do you define as Hepburn-esque sweater?

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    5. Tippi, Jackie,fitted turtleneck, etc. Not a big lush bathrobe-y cardigan, or heavy Aran. Otherwise I think they are unbalanced, or too lounge looking. Just my 2 cents!

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  8. Thanks for this great review WMM, the coat looks really good on you. I love winter coats but mine are mostly neutrals - I have 2 in navy blue, one in a dark blue check and one in a taupe camel hair. I have been eyeing that promo email but I don't know yet if I will bite, even though it would be nice to have a bit of colour. I'll probably be practical and wait until the end of the season. Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. Hi Patricia - I am feeling quite set on coats now. I have a lovely red wool car coat, a black dressy coat, a black military-style coat and now this. And a couple of down-filled coats for when the weather gets brutal!

      Am going to get organized around cooking for Thanksgiving put on some reviews of things from my 25% off box - all were a success this time! LOTS of pink and grey.

      I think I will be like you and wait to get another on the after christmas sales when the prices get really good. Have a wonderful day!

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  9. Beautiful, great colour and I prefer it without the brass buttons apart from that it looks just like the majesty pea coat - mine doesn't feel at all heavy - maybe recent cost cuts?

    Love - "goats that have been round the block a few times"

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    1. HI Tabs. Thanks for the heads up about the weight. The one I had before from J Crew was really substantial - maybe it is because it had thinsulate?

      I have been thinking more of the definitions Cate found:

      "fibers reclaimed from scraps or fabrics that were previously woven or felted, and may or may not have been previously used by the consumer." All sounds very dodgy to me! In other words: "we found a box of old cashmere out back and we are making it into a new coat for you!"

      have a great saturday. I am thinking today is a day for champagne. Have had a bottle of veuve cliquot in the fridge for months. Finally finished all of the first season of HOmeland and the second season's first episode. It was very addictive - we did it all in a week. Very great commitment!

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    2. That sounds like scraps from the cutting room floor, from DaniBP's J Crew post!

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  10. Great coat, gorgeous color, an especially pretty one on you--AND a bargain?! Well done, and I say why not to another! I have never lived in a climate as cold as yours, and I get lots of wear out of my 4 or 5 coats, so I assume you will love it and wear it often for many years. Result=great CPW, as Dani would say!

    I laughed out loud in the silence and dark of the early morning at your recycled cashmere suppositions! I'm sticking with your definition, as part of the "Don't disabuse me of my fantasy" club I recently joined, and as a tribute to all of those who may have been around the block, but still have a lot to offer!

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    1. n.b: It's the best club, I've been saying that all week.

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    2. Thanks NB and Tabs! Oh I have all kinds of things ricocheting up in the old noggin', almost none of them good or particularly intellectually enlightening!

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  11. Thank you for the wonderful review, WMM! The coat is beautiful on you, and such a lovely color! Much better than the one from J.Crew that you gifted recently. :)

    As for the discount amount, I would contact Lands' End and ask for a price adjustment. They are usually really good about giving them if you ask within the specified time period, which is 14 days for them.

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  12. Homeland starts here tomorrow night, I can't wait. I just ordered this jacket in the tan colour for mum's birthday in two weeks, she loves my J Crew one but this ships from UK and they offer petite - superb, - thank you! She has been all concerned about her bust not sitting right in double breasted jackets/coats - we have the same concerns!

    Oh it is definitely a day for champagne, I love Veuve it's so buttery, cheers from me!

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    1. Well cheers to you and your Mum! Yes, my mother had a bust too, god bless her and I have passed the same genes on to my dauther. Without mine, I would be at least two sizes smaller on top. sigh...

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    2. Oh and p.s. - got the fixings for butter chicken, papadoms, naan for tonight - so yummy with champagne! I will toast your mother!

      And I also scored an italian dessert wine which is hardly ever in stock. We are VERY provincial here (every pun intended!)

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    3. WMM, if you have/ make extra butter chicken sauce, it makes a great base (instead of the tomato or pesto) for homemade pizza either on dough or extra naan. Use it as the sauce and then small chunks or slices of leftover chicken or turkey, carmelized or thinly sliced red onions and a bit of mozzarella or other mild melting cheese like Gouda. Sprinkle with chopped green onions or cilantro if you like it when you pull out of oven. And yogurt, real mint sauce, grated cucumber raita on the side if you like.

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    4. Oh my gosh - that sounds awesome! Wait till I tell Barry - he will be very excited! Am already making some raita so that will be great!

      We often each pizza dough with simply roasted garlic, rosemary and goat cheese.

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  13. WMM and Cate, first the practicalities (and I actually prefer your imaginings but I'll do a Marilla here.) I bought my father an LE wool and recycled cashmere item last year. While an ecoholic re. many things (including Patagonia's soda bottle fleece for ski/ deep winter), does not extend to shoes, bags, presents. So I called LE about the feard scrap factor and they educated me that theirs is remnant, off-cuts etc. from other items made usually in same factory and isn't worn by others, brought in by bagfuls from who knows where etc. Since their CS is generally outstanding, and they at least have a proactive plan re. fair trade re. made in India, Mauritius etc., I will take their word for it.

    If you can get the coat for a great price and you would get great wear out of it, I would do as KnitYarns suggests, get the charcoal and sub out some brown leather buttons. Especially if you get that price adjustment as FFM suggests. A classic peacoat will last you "forever". (But part of that is said because I am just not brave enough to buy a fuschia, buttercup, scarlet, jade coat, although I love them in shop windows and on others.)

    As for shop wants, there's a lovely plaid alpaca scarf in tan, grey etc. I was eyeing at LE, but it's very generous/ long so I am afraid of the Doctor Who factor on 5'2". And of course, I am drawn by the navy/pink/grey etc. plaid scarf that popped up accidentally in the header on JC's site, so I guess I will wait for the next roll-out.

    Finally Tabitha and WMM, the house is stocked with Strongbow, vino, bourbon and martini makings (Bond marathon) but now you both have me craving Veuve. That's a bad good thing.

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    1. Sorry to get you thinking of Veuve... I am THISCLOSE to opening the bottle, have been cooking for thanksgiving for 3+ hours - stuffing, cranberry sauce, squash, french apple tart.. Am taking a break for a little bit before I go back at it!

      I really wish I was at that Bond Marathon - please tell me how it all turns out!

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  14. This is a lovely coat and the colour looks great on you!

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    1. thanks Rose - they have me pretty convinced about the charcoal, too.... Have a great day!

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  15. The comment I left must have only been posted to my mind, ha!

    That is a perfect peacoat for you, beautiful color and wonderful fit!

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    1. Well Tiffany Rose - am awfully glad it isn't only me that posts things in their mind! and my typing is getting more atrocious, not better! Mind is so much faster than keyboard!

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  16. Well - a little update, for the price (basically two lovely wool peacoats for less than what I would have paid for the j crew peacoat on sale), I decided that I really did need a neutral colour as well, so ordered the charcoal one as well!

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  17. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It sounds like it. You are a hoot, btw. I much, much prefer the LE buttons over the gold ones. I will barely try any of the JC versions on w/the gold buttons. Too busy & distracting. The color is lovely on you!!!

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  18. Thank you Gigi! Gold buttons make me feel like i have been drafted!

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Kindness is a virtue...