Vintage Serge Spy TrenchClick here for product page
Item 17510
$365.00
This J.Crew Collection coat looks fabulous– from the subtle collar to the rockin' belt. According to J.Crew, "A romantic twist on the timeless trench whipped up in an unexpectedly bright hue. The genius is in the details: the slightly higher belt placement (for optimal waist cinching), soft ruching at the pockets and old-fashioned dressmaker touches that echo a classic feel. Wool. Mandarin collar. Double-breasted. Long sleeves. Vents with functional buttons at cuffs. Removable self-belt with buckle at waist. Welt pockets. Fully lined. Hits at low thigh."
A big "thanks!" to KitsMommy (in this post), who shared her thoughts on this coat with us. The following is her review:
...I received my Spy Trench coat yesterday. I had promised a quick review so...
I am a huge fan of the double serge fabric for coats, so I was really excited about the Spy Trench when I saw it in the catalog. In person it is lovely. The color is a very pretty dusty orange and is not bright at all. The buttons and buckel are dark brown and are very nicely done. It is lined in ivory and is very well made with nice details like functional buttons on the cuffs.
Unfortunately, it doesn't quite fit me right. I am 5'4" and 125 pounds and slightly bottom heavy and I think this coat would better fit someone taller and slimmer hipped than I am. The size 4 I ordered fit me just right in the shoulders and bust, but the fit is a little too long in the upper body and sleeves for me and tight through the hip. I think the fit of this is very similar to the Lady Day Coat except for the skirt being cut less a-line.The only design detail that I do not like are the horizontal pockets. I like pockets that I can put my hands in, so I find these to be bothersome. Also, their location and gathering below them puts fullness where I least like to have it and this detail was not flattering on me. Also, unlike my Gretas, Tuesday Trenches and Gramercy coats which are also double breasted, this coat does not hang well unbuttoned.
This is a lovely coat and will look great on some body types.
"Thanks!" again to KitsMommy for her great review!
What are your thoughts on the Vintage Serge Spy Trench? Are you considering or already have purchased this coat? Have you seen this coat in person? If so, please share with us your reviews too! :)
I haven't seen this one & didn't even notice it online. Too bad it didn't work as the photo is beautiful. Great review :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review kitsmommy!
ReplyDeleteSlightly OT, but can anyone tell me the difference between the warmth/feel/quality of the double-cloth fabric vs. the stadium-cloth for coats? TIA!
O/T: Does anyone know the dates of the Holiday rollout?
ReplyDeleteI like the style of it, but the color is sort of odd. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteIt is a great looking coat, except the color was questionable since I haven't seen it in person. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteDiana, I do not think the double cloth is warm at all, unless you get a coat with thinsulate. I live in Florida, and the double cloth and double serge are my favorites as they are light weight. The double cloth is a wool, nylon blend with a subtle texture. It isn't plush and soft, but instead is somewhat crisp feeling. The double serge is softer and drapes more easily. I also like both of these fabrics because they do not add bulk and do not pick up every little piece of lint.
ReplyDeleteThe stadium cloth is more plush and thick. Every coat I have ever tried out of this fabric looks a bit bulky on me.
Back to the Spy Trench, the color is amazing. It is kind of a soft pumpkin color and looks pretty with any shade of blue denim, black, any gray gray and brown. I have the Greta in persimmon from last year and it is really a bright true orange compared to this.
kitsmommy, thanks so much for the review! It's invaluable to have IRL opinions from JCA's. I love double-breasted coats and think this one is adorable, but am not a fan of the mandarin collar.
ReplyDeletecasual-crew, my B&M told me that their first shipment of Holiday stuff would be received on Oct 9 or 10.... I guess it was supposed to be a week later but it was pushed up. I think a couple of other JCA's heard mid-October as well. Can't wait - I love the Holiday stuff!
Two quickie reviews:
1. Beaded ribbon-front top (19176) - I just had to see this one IRL and knew my B&M would never receive it. Gorgeous color, and the silk feels better than some of their other silk tops (not slub or habotai). The beaded detail is gorgeous, but heavy! There is some puckering around the collar where the beading is weighing the fabric down. The top is not lined, and no side zip (yippee!), and TTS - not as boxy as the now $19.99 ribbon top. Cute, but probably couldn't/wouldn't be worn more than once.
2. Cashmere rolled scoopneck tunic (18245) - another I just had to see IRL. The cashmere seems thicker than my Lily sweaters from a year or two ago. As for size, it seems very A-line - in my usual S the arms were just right, but the bottom kind of flared out. Sizing down wouldn't help because then the arms would be too tight. The front pockets add some bulk where I can imagine most women don't want added bulk! I can't trust that the cashmere would hold up to more than one wearing, so back it goes. I'm going to try ordering a cashmere sweater from Lord & Taylor instead.
silver_lining: I have been eyeing the piles of cashmere sweaters in Lord and Taylor and wondering how they compare to J.Crew - not the same range of colors and styles of course. Will be interested to hear your thoughts. Good to know re the cashmere tunic, the online pic makes it look fitted at the hips but last year JC had several styles that fit really strangely IRL as I recall, sounds the same this year....
ReplyDeleteKits Mommy -- THanks for the review! I'll probaby get it if they EVER offer 20% again.
ReplyDeleteI love that dusty blossom color! I bought the maya in that color and want to replicate the JC model shoot of the db with the bright blue! Bring on the fall weather so I can try! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the review kitsmommy! :)
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else get the 40% off email from Banana Republic? I received that one this morning and had a 10% off from when they messed up an order of mine a month or so back. I was able to stack the two codes and get the new aviator jacket for $215, including tax and shipping. Yay! I hope it looks as cute in person as online. I like the bomber on J Crew's site, but this is a bit more in my price range.
ReplyDeleteI saw this coat in the Southampton store and the colour is indeed very pretty, subtle, and (I think) universally flattering.
ReplyDeleteFor the price, I am surprised the spy trench is not offered in petite sizes. 1.5" shorter length in the torso allows for a noticeably better fit on a petite frame, especially when there's a belt detail.
ReplyDeletekitsmommy, good score on the BR jacket. I just checked it out and actually like it a lot better than the JC bomber. I got the 40% off coupon too, plus Tuesdays cardholders get an extra 10% off...looking to see if I want to get anything. I also just noticed that BR now has product reviews on their site. It saved me a return of boots b/c I was going to order a pair but the reviews said the calves were very wide, so I knew they wouldn't work for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review! I'm really drawn to that color, even though I usually go neutral for outerwear.
ReplyDeleteOT - but anyone has a guess when the next extra20% promotion might be coming? I've been holding out for a bit now and I don't know how much longer I can keep it going! :)
ReplyDeleteg - I'll be placing an order soon so a promo will probably appear the day after that. LOL
ReplyDeleteDiana Draw - the stadium cloth is definitely thick and plush, it is the warmest fabric J.Crew offers for winter coats and is plenty warm without Thinsulate or Thermore or whatever they are calling it this year. I haven't noticed extra bulk with stadium cloth as kitsmommy mentioned but that's probably because I live in Canada and I'm used to big, thick coats. I'd have to look like the Michelin man to consider something bulky. Although I'm going to be taking a second look now when I put on my Shipley or Bridget coats this winter. :P
The double-cloth is quite a bit lighter weight and has an almost pique texture to it, but it is not stretchy like a pique polo. I have two double-cloth coats without Thinsulate lining and they look really crisp and sharp. I think the fabric tailors very nicely, which is why some of the more intricate coats, like the Lady Day, are made with double-cloth.
If you want warmth you can't beat stadium cloth. If you want a crisp, polished look then double-cloth would be a better choice IMO.
Sorry, OT, but how does the double serge cotton pencil skirt fit? TTS? Thanks!
ReplyDeletekitsmommy, thanks for the review. I love the look of this coat but the horizontal pockets turn me off. I like functional pockets in a trench. Beautiful color though.
ReplyDeleteI just received the shirred deco skirt and the paisley perfect shirt. The deco skirt is going back. The fabric and pattern are lovely but there is a run smack dab in the middle of the skirt in the front. I won't be exchanging for another one because the fit was not great on me. I sized up to a 6 and it hung lower but still was just odd in some way. I'm tall so maybe it is better on a more petite frame.
The paisley perfect shirt is beautiful. It is 57% cotton 43% silk, which is a lot silkier than the deep pink paisley perfect shirt from summer, which is 73% cotton 27% silk. The color is listed as pewter and that's a bit misleading. The ivory/taupe/dusty blossom colors are much more dominant on my blouse with only a little gray on the front. I found the fit to be slightly small in the chest and the arms were quite long, which is crazy because I'm long-limbed so they would be way too long for those who are not tall. Maybe it was just a defect. I'm going to reorder in a larger size to see if I can do better on the second try. I really like this blouse, especially the slight shimmer from the silky fabric. A timeless classic that will be in my wardrobe until it is threadbare.
Beaded ribbon top - I disagree with silver lining about the wearability of this piece. I ordered it and am a SAHM who lives in rural CT. I will wear this with jeans and a black cardi day-to-day and out on dates with my husband too. The color and lightness of the silk keep it from being at all dressy , merely a little sparkly. The beading IS heavy, but it hangs nicely once on, and I was lucky enough not to have any puckering on mine. Incidentally, it comes in black too. I saw it at the Soho store on Saturdat, but did not like it as well.
ReplyDeleteI know this is a little late after the original post but does anyone know if this coat would be warm enough for winter. I live in Philadelphia and understand that this coat probably won't work for 15-30 degree weather (i have a puffer for that) but is it enough for the 30-40 range?
ReplyDelete