Petite Lookbook: Classic Black Coat

Outerwear is one of the hardest things to shop for as a petite - and alterations alone can run pretty high. I invest a lot into my outerwear, but I feel like the cost is justified. Cold weather in the Northeast settles in around October and stays until April, so I get tons of wear out of them. Not to mention, a nice coat definitely makes dreary winter days more tolerable : )

Coat: Burberry F/W08 sz 2 (read about alterations here) (2009 version sold here)

Leggings: H&M sz 2

Scarf: Abercrombie cashmere

Bag: Chanel Petite Shopping Tote

Shoes: Target Mossimo nude pumps sz 5.5

Shop winter coats in petite-friendly sizes:

1. The J.Crew Lady Day Coat and Wool-Cashmere Plaza Coat in P0 are still lurking on final sale in numerous colors. I've heard that their coats run smaller than their tops, but cannot vouch for this myself. Price was just lowered today to $150, but wait for EXTRA20 or EXTRA30 if you can.

2. Nordstrom Wool-Blend Walking Coat in Juniors XS is a very inexpensive option. This coat was introduced to me a while back by a reader. There are 90+ reviews giving it an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars, and it should run small since it is juniors sizing.

3. Victoria's Secret Classic Wool Coat in P0, on sale as well. First came across this coat in a thread on the Alterations Needed forum. Per the reviewer (who is a tad bigger than me), the fit was decent, however the quality was not great.

4. Mackage Penelope Coat in XXS. Whenever someone hears that I'm a coat fanatic, they tell me that I have to try Mackage. According to the size chart, an XXS is for women measuring 32-25-34.5, which sounds like a P0 to P2. Any petites have experience with this brand?

This coat went through two rounds of alterations (first done by the retail store, second done by my tailors at Hemmingway). I prefer my coats a little more fitted and the sleeves more slim, but overall I'm quite pleased with the results.