Color: Black
Retail: $298
Review: Well-made with some great details. Great price for a good quality leather jacket. Runs small, size up!
One of my wishlist items was a new leather jacket. You may recall that I vowed to first see if I could rework leather jackets hanging in a closet at my parents' house. Well, once I looked into the price of making such changes to leather garments, I quickly decided that a new mid-range leather coat would be a better investment.
We've also officially entered fall here in NYC. Chilly-ish temps with some warmer, sunny days...wool is still too much, but thin blazers won't really cut it. A friend raved to me about the Aqua brand leather coats over at Bloomingdale's, saying that for the price, they were a good 'in-between seasons' option. Decent leather at under $300? I had to see for myself. The recent 20% Friends & Family discount made it even more worth the trip.
I wasn't too familiar with Aqua...it's Bloomies' in-house brand that falls within the Contemporary department. But what a nice surprise the leather jackets turned out to be! The leather is quite soft, yet thick. There are some nice details, such as seaming, pockets, etc etc. I saw one option with a removable hood (see below) that could be a close stand-in for Mike & Chris, yet without the $700+ pricepoint. The quality was as good or better. Sure, you could find decent leather at well under $300. But not in the form of super stylish bombers and motorcycle styles!
I settled on the motorcycle coat with the faux fur removable collar. I like the pocket details on the front, the seaming is quite flattering at the back, and the detachable collar gives some flexibility. As far as fit, I sized up from my usual size, which fit, but was a fairly tight squeeze (I had to inhale deeply to even zip it thoroughly over my chest). The sales associate informed me that Aqua is geared towards shoppers who desire a more youthful (read: more fitted) look. She recommended that I size up, but noted that the 'young people like you' are taking it tighter (to which I nearly hugged her as I laughingly informed her I was 8 months away from 30).
Rachel Zoe insists that you should buy leather jackets 'very fitted,' since they stretch with wear. However, I didn't really want to take a chance with this one...I wanted to wear it now with thin sweaters and scarves! If you prefer a fitted look, or don't plan to zip it much...I say take your true size. If you plan to wear sweaters (even thin ones) underneath, size up. The price is right for these, and I know I'll be wearing it for years to come.
Beware that they are selling out quite fast online and in-store. The jacket I purchased is available in black only in limited sizes. If you want to do a charge-send, call Bo Katyk (Coats Specialist) at the Soho Bloomingdales (212.729.5178). Possibly the nicest and most helpful high-end department store (is Bloomies still considered high-end?) SA I've ever met.
Below are the rest of the Aqua leather jacket options online:
Aqua Leather Jacket with Detachable Hood ($298)(available in grey & black)
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