j.crew review: peacoat popover!

Hi everyone,

Free ship, no min and new arrivals up at J.Crew this morning!

Before I get toto my picks, I have a review. Te Peacoat Popover is a a new rollout item that sparked some interest in the JCA realm. I used my 25% off discount to give it a whirl. So sorry I couldn't get this post up until this morning. I had to run out the door last night and wasn't able to get back until late.

Thanks to Life as a Cat, who posted pics of the October catalog ("style guide") here, including this pic of the red popover:

Looks darling in the pictures, and it is very cute on. But, it's a popover, so I had to consider that it's not an item that I'm going to want to be taking on and off, plus, you can't leave it unbuttoned if you're hot. So I'm picturing tossing it on if I'm heading over to a friend's house, or maybe with just a light tee underneath, it would just work as your top layer when out and about running errands. Hm. Anywho, let's take a look-see, shall we?

It's 100% wool from Nello Gori and it's a nice soft wool. Something about it made me worry it could pill, though I'm not sure why. I really can't imagine it would, since I've never had a problem with their 100% wool coats. (Though let's never say never, right? *cough-thinpencilskirt-cough* It's completely lined in a very soft and silky polyester that I loved. It didn't feel itchy to me at all.

The gold buttons are really nice, which they note online are from "Connecticut's Waterbury Button Company (the oldest metal-button manufacturer in the U.S. They got their start in 1812 as the primary supplier of uniform buttons for the armed forces.)."

The color is a muted, heathered camel. Not as warm a tone as I'd expected, so that might sway you one way or the other. I tried to get the color captured, but camel is tricky. The pic of me down below is the best I think.

But let's get to the pullover, on-off issue.  The copy says that there is a hidden side zip, so I spent like 10 minutes looking all over for it, thinking "wow, this really IS hidden. Am I an idiot?" Um, yeah, there's no zipper. I mean, maybe I'm an idiot, so please let me know if I am, but I'm not seeing it, lol. That might have made it a bit easier to get on and off.  Here's a picture of the side inside out, which is identical on the other side:

Pulling it on and off was a little tricky. I felt a little bit flustered, but not terribly so. It was hot in the house, so that might have contributed to my fluster. Also, I ordered a size 2, which is what I wore in their coats last year. It feels just a smidge too small in the shoulders, and I think a bit too cropped. The size is do-able, but I think a size 4 would be easier overall. Your hair is going to get messed up taking it on and off, if that's an issue for you. Mine is always pulled up and a mess, so it's not for me.The positive side of the popover is that it's a nice and slim silhouette.  All in all, I'm undecided if I can deal with the pullover aspect of it.

It's a cropped shape, which is cute and I like the slant pockets.

My verdict? It's adorable. But. The pullover issue could be a dealbreaker for many, including maybe me. I'm going to have to think about it and maybe try it on when it's not 80 degrees in my house. ETA: Ha, I think I've already made up my mind that it's going to be a pass for me. It's not even so much the pullover aspect, as it is the not being able to open it up. I'm always hot, so I really need to be able to open it up, even in the dead of winter. Ah well, money saved is money earned. ;)

You might recall that I did an old-school review here of an old peacoat they did years back, called the Dani peacoat. Has a similar look, doesn't it? (though it's an actual button-up coat)
What do you think of the Peacoat Popover?

Have a lovely day!