As I mentioned in my “What I Bought in November” post, I finally purchased this Classic Coat from The Curated after eyeing it for over two years! I think I first found them through other bloggers (see Andrea in her Classic Coat here and Lee’s review here). But I didn’t want to commit to the purchase of a winter coat while my body was still changing through pregnancy (two years ago) and then last year we were in Hawaii for the winter. But this year, I finally decided it was time and oh boy, I was not disappointed and yes it does live up to the hype!
If you’re not familiar with The Curated, it’s a small business founded by Nicola, an Asian-Australian living in Sweden. Her taste is really exquisite and I love watching her Insta-stories. She is very conscious of sustainability as well as the ethical production behind her brand. She only uses natural fibers that are sourced ethically, and I love the minimal use of plastic in the packaging. There’s also no plastic whatsoever in any of her clothes, which is something that can’t be said for a lot of similar looking coats that you find in stores. In the end, a coat with only natural fibers (usually it’s 70% wool and 30% cashmere) makes for a higher quality coat that’ll not only last ages but also feel much more luxurious. And yet she doesn’t mark-up the price on her coats (thus making them more affordable than any other all natural fiber coats from other brands—I mean have you even seen the prices for a 100% wool Max Mara coat?!). You can read Vee’s blog post here where she compares her Tailored Curated Coat with some other MaxMara coats.
Now a note on sizing: I got this in a small, which I would say is a size down for me. I’m usually a solid medium in clothes these days, though I can get away with a size small for tops usually (but I’m definitely leaning towards a large on the bottom). I decided to go with a smaller size because I for some reason thought this coat was oversized (it’s not, but their other styles are). In fact the website says to go with your true size. I usually go with a smaller size in coats since I’m short, and I didn’t want a long coat to hit at an awkward spot like mid-calf (thus making me look shorter). And I really like where this size small coat hits, right below the knee. But I originally thought I would exchange it for a medium because when I try to belt it, the coat is a tad snug at the hips. It’s also a tad snug at the shoulders. The coat fits perfectly as long as I don’t belt it and I’m just wearing a tee or thin sweater underneath, which is what I wear for our mild California winters anyway. So I decided to keep the small. I would say if you live somewhere colder and want to layer something thick underneath, go with your true size. As it is, I just throw this coat on and treat it more like a coatigan (a cardigan-coat). I also like that the sleeves are a tad short when my arms are outstretched since it helps keep the sleeves from being too bulky (the sleeves already widen at the wrist so I could imagine a size medium coat being too long and bulky for me).
As I mentioned above, the quality of this coat is really amazing. It’s soft and thick, yet not itchy at all. The coat keeps you quite warm and I usually only wear a tee underneath for 45-60 degree weather. Also the coat is slightly water repellant, so even though I’ve had some spills on it already (hello outdoor dining with a toddler), there haven’t been any major stains. I even dipped my sleeve in soy sauce, and it was fine.
At first I wasn’t a fan of the exterior vertical pockets (I prefer the hidden slit pockets), but I now I find them super useful and am glad for them (perfect for easy access to your phone). I’m also a fan that the coat comes with belt loops and a belt that you could add on, but aren’t already on the coat. This works for me since I don’t belt up the coat ever, but I do see how it could be an inconvenience if you do want to wear it belted with the belt loops. But at least you could customize where the belt loops are so that you can belt it at your own natural waist (sometimes with coats meant for taller people, the belt always ends up being too low for me).
Anyway I love this coat so much and have worn it basically everyday since I got it. I’m very tempted to get a second because it’s just that good. But I’m not sure if I should just size up and go with a different color in the same Classic coat or branch out to a different style (maybe the Tailored coat?). But for now I’m going to stick with just the one, love it to pieces, and wear it to bits. If I still want another coat next season, I’ll wait til then to get it (and lucky for me slow brands like The Curated keep most of their styles season to season)!
{January 2022 Update: So I was able to try a 100% cashmere coat from MaxMara and I have to say I still prefer my cashmere blend coat from The Curated. The MaxMara coat was a tad thicker but I wouldn’t say it was any softer nor felt more luxe. And for the price point MaxMara sells their coat at, it’s definitely a rip-off IMO.}