Petite Outerwear - Burberry, Part 1 - Pink / Cream Check Coat

For some ladies, it's purses. For others, its shoes. But for me, its coats. Living in the Northeast, winters can be long, cold and dreary, which is why I eventually turned to beautiful coats and winter accessories to put a smile on my face. But finding a coat that is beautiful, well-made, and perfectly petite sized can be a difficult and costly journey.

Enter Burberry, the iconic brand known for its timeless trenches and coats. Any retail-priced purchase comes with complimentary alterations done by their nimble tailors, so it's basically like getting a coat custom-fitted. Granted, pricing is steep, but for those who can afford it, it is well worth the occasional splurge. Also, be sure to sign-up for their seasonal in-store sale mailing list.

Here is my first Burberry purchase from 2006, back when I thought children's coats were my only choice. Let me just say, what a long way I've come since then! This is a kids coat, in a little girls size 12, purchased from eBay UK (photo courtesy of another eBay seller since I cannot find a pic of mine pre-alterations). Note the proportions designed obviously for children:

1. wide arms
2. small chest with roomy waist/hip area
3. short and stout overall

But the texture was rich, the colors were girly, and the lining was TDF, so I saw potential.

I took this coat to a Burberry retail store, and had the sleeves and torso area slimmed. End result:

Just look at this lining! Gorgeous roses with little "Burberry"s scripted in periwinkle:

Buying on eBay can be tricky, especially since there are usually no returns. I suggest always asking the seller for detailed measurements and comparing to your own items before buying. For this coat, I made sure that 1. the shoulders were the right width (shoulder alterations are $$$ and difficult), and 2. the sleeves were long enough since this was a kid's coat.

Alas, after I started working I ended up reselling this coat to a fellow petite. Since then I have graduated to adult sizing (more Burb posts to come), but frequently think back to this first Burberry and pray that it went to a good home!