Tibi Asymmetrical Ruffle Wool Coat: Review and Fit Guide

When I was in New York in October, I first spotted this coat by Tibi which has become over the last year or so, one of my favorite contemporary lines. The 60s inspired prints, beautiful attention to details, and quality fabrics are right up my alley but for some reason it is fairly easy to find items on major sale or discounted deeply on ebay. It is a brand that doesn't really retain resale value so I have scored some insane deals on cute dresses and skirts. Despite knowing this, I paid more than I usually would have (in terms of discount %) for this coat.

There were a few reasons I convinced myself to strike earlier in the sale cycle than usual. I fell in love with it in NYC and often looked longingly at its inventory page on the website. It filled a gap in my coat collection (which I admit is becoming grotesquely expansive), in terms of style, weight, and versatility. And the only place that carried it (as far as I could tell, and I searched pretty thoroughly) was Saks Fifth Avenue. I knew that fall 2009 stock levels were lower than usual due to the hard lessons they learned the year prior about consumer's luxury spending patterns during a recession. So once it sold out, it could possible actually be gone, unlike collections from last year which will populate Yoox.com, Bluefly, ebay, and the sample sale websites (Gilt, RueLaLa, etc.) ad infinitum.

As soon as it went 40% off during triple points I decided to strike. But I was confused about sizes. Despite the comfortable feel, the 6 I tried on made me nervous. I am rarely a 6 in "fit and flare" shaped dresses, let alone something cut straight. The only other size, in store was a 10 that ran very large. So I ordered an 8 to be delivered to my local store assuming it had to be right. If not it would already be at the store in case I needed to return.

And I did need to return it. It was pretty but it ran big. When I tried to style an outfit with it open, it looked capelike. I found myself regretting not ordering the 6.

But on Thanksgiving Day they restocked the website and released a $100 off code so I got it in the proper size at an even lower price.

Somehow it fits better than the original 6 pictured, that I tried on in NYC. Maybe it depends on how you layer underneath it? I am happy because I paid below 50% of retail (which is still not as discounted as I prefer but the stock levels frightened me) for something I think will last me years and years. I know "ruffles" as a trend might seem fleeting but for me personally, asymmetry and feminine whimsical details will continue to be a part of my aesthetic, regardless of trends.

Did anyone score anything exciting around the Thanksgiving and post-Thanksgiving sales?