Juicy Couture Italian Melton Pea Coat

A while back, I featured some rain coats that were, frankly, awesome. Did you get one? No? Well, that’s ok. Days are coming up when it won’t be raining, but you’ll still need something warm and cozy to—wait a minute. What do you mean, you didn’t get a rain coat? Weren’t you listening to me? Didn’t I tell you it’s going to be raining more often soon because fall is coming? Are you just going to walk around letting your fabulous clothes get all wet and wrinkly? Do you think I’m doing this for my health? I’m only thinking of you, you know. Fine, you didn’t take my advice then, so listen up—you need a nice fall and winter coat. Unless you live in the Yukon, you can get by with a warm sweater and a jacket or short coat, and one that never goes out of style is the pea coat like this one by Juicy Couture.

This is the second time Juicy has come out with something I actually like. Maybe they’re turning over a new leaf? Maybe they got enough complaints about the towel purses? Whatever the reason, I’m digging what they’re doing. This Italian Melton pea coat is just gorgeous. As you know, pea coats are traditionally black or navy blue, and are worn by sailors. You could always go to a military surplus store and get one of those, but they’re made for men’s bodies and would make you look really bulky, and who needs that? Better go with one like the Melton that is designed for the curves of a woman’s body. How? Well, you’ll notice the Melton draws in at the waist, taking on an hourglass shape. The flared bottom hem adds to the effect, for a truly feminine silhouette. It’s 34 inches long, so technically, it’s a bridge coat rather than a pea coat, but it still has traditional pea coat detailing, like a double-breasted button closure. The collar is also in line with classic design, except the edges are rounded into a clover leaf lapel, again making it more feminine. The coat is made from 90 percent wool and 10 percent cashmere. It’s lined with rayon in the body, and acetate in the sleeves, so it’ll slip right over anything you’re wearing. If Juicy keeps this up, I may become a convert. They still need to get rid of the towel bags before that happens, though. So grab this coat before they decide to switch the wool/cashmere blend for terry cloth. It’s $448 at Zappos.com.

Budget Saving Alternatives

Ok, so after seeing that price, the military surplus store’s looking pretty good, right? Not so fast. You can still get a classic pea coat without looking like you should be swabbing decks. Check out this Spiewak Jasper pea coat. It’s shorter than the Melton, more like a traditional pea coat, and unlike the Melton, has two front slash pockets to keep your hands toasty. The notched collar also has a more traditional, pointy look, and while the front looks like a double-breasted pea coat, under that top flap is a three-button closure, making it easier to put on and take off. It’s a 70/30 wool/polyester blend, with a smooth polyester blend lining. The cuffs have a nice single button detail. I like it in the traditional black, but it’s also available in gray heather. Try it for just $160.20 at Zappos.com.

Want a traditional look with a contemporary twist? You can always count on Michael Kors for that. His Double Breasted Cropped pea coat has the same basic shape as a regular pea coat, with a few major differences. First, it’s cropped for a more modern look. But be careful. Depending on where a cropped coat’s bottom hem hits you, it can make your hips look wider than they actually are. And for some reason, Kors also saw fit to crop the sleeves. To me, it looks like the coat was accidentally put in the washer and shrank. I can understand cropped sleeves on a summer jacket when you’re wearing it more for style than function. But on a winter coat? You’re just leaving skin exposed to the elements, and if you try to make up for it with gloves, it’ll just look even worse. If your arms are a little on the short side, maybe it’ll fit you better. The biggest difference, obviously, is the abstract monochrome pattern that adorns the coat. I guess maybe it just really is more for show than for keeping warm, but you’ll definitely stand out in this coat. It’s 97 percent cotton, 2 percent spandex, so it’ll have some give when you’re moving around in it. There’s also a single back storm flap, similar to the one you find on rain coats, and military-inspired epaulets add another point of interest. Like the other two coats, it’s dry clean only. To paraphrase the late, great Mitch Hedberg, “This jacket is dry clean only…which means it’s dirty.” Think about it. And while you’re thinking, grab this coat for $129 at Zappos.com.