There are two things at this moment that I can't believe. 1) That I got this Upper East Side Coat 5 years ago, and 2) that people are still asking me about it.
Straight outta the bag, complete with wrinkles. The coat I mean.
The Upper East Side Coat
I was browsing around on Instagram years ago when I came across an Instastory by a friend of a friend. Actually I have no idea if they're friends because this is the age where people who have never met and would almost certainly gouge each other's eyes out in real life are "friends".
As a matter of fact I've never met my "friend" in this story. We have however spoken on the phone and have a strong connection due to our shared love of the laughing with tears emoji.
So. Friend of a friend shared this coat in a post. It was being referred to as "The Upper East Side Coat". Friend of friend is a fashion designer who happens to actually live on New York's Upper East Side.
I really liked the coat but I liked the idea of wearing a mythical "Upper East Side Coat" into my small town Dollar Store even more. So I immediately began my investigation in the place almost all investigations begin. The refrigerator.
Standing there with the door open, I looked inside the fridge waiting for a package of bologna, a Kentucky Fried Chicken breast or some other delicious thing I didn't actually buy to magically appear. As I slid out a jar of olives I imagined my Upper East Side life.
In it, I live in the corner unit of a very old apartment building with marble floors, a centre hall table and I always eat apples. And of course, I have "the coat".
I'm not an idiot, I know this kind of an apartment could only come with a lot of hard work. I'd have to write at least one newspaper column a month to afford that kind of luxury. I've seen my share of Sex & the City. I know how it works.
I closed the refrigerator door and made my way upstairs to the second most popular place to start an investigation; Google. It didn't take long to track down the coat. According to Google, the coat dated back to a travel blog called The Blonde Abroad. And sure enough, in a post she wrote about packing for winter travel in 2015, there the blonde stands in The Coat. She had packed it to wear on a trip to Canada. CANADA.
The Coat and I were meant to be together.
This was all starting to get a bit mind blowing. I ate an olive. Back on Google I read more about The Upper East Side Coat.
Apparently, after an Upper East Side kindergarten teacher spotted the coat on the travel blog she bought it. Then someone else on the Upper East Side spotted it on the kindergarten teacher and bought it. From there it was a free-for-all with every Upper East Sider sashaying up and down their sidewalks wearing the coat in one of its four colours. Green seems to be the most popular among the crowd.
Looking back on it now, I think the reason this became such a huge deal was partly due to the fact that this was a really cheap coat. It was ... an Amazon coat. On the backs of glamazon people.
Not convinced this coat phenomenon was a real thing I texted my emoji friend who happens to live downtown Manhattan, in Tribeca. She not only verified the popularity of this coat on The Upper East Side but also confirmed it was indeed contained to The Upper East Side. They do not wear it downtown. Downtown everyone carries a certain quilted bag, but they don't wear The Coat.
5 years ago at least, I'm sure everything has changed now with people on the Upper East Side wearing quilted coats and the downtowners wearing 4 or 5 performance artists as coats.
It was all too exciting. The opportunity to walk around in a genuine Upper East Side coat without ever once having to worry about finding a rent controlled apartment or eat apples. The first Google article I read about the coat, from New York Magazine, attributed the design to a Chinese company Orolay that makes folding chairs. Um. O.K. Those New Yorkers are eccentric aren't they. But if they think that a chair company makes the best coats who am I to argue?
I ordered the coat. It was here in 4 days. I loved the coat immediately. It's weirdly comfortable for sitting.
Why am I talking about this coat again?
To tell you 5 years later I still love it. I have washed and dried it countless times. It is warm, there are lots of pockets for keys, wallets, snacks, Kleenex ...
Plus it looks great. Or it used to look great.
The coat is still getting compliments even in its current ripped, mangled, stained, 5 year old, embarrasing to wear in public state.
I wore it to train & walk Philip while he was a shark-toothed puppy. That was really the beginning of the end of the coat.
I decided this week that I was still so in love with the coat that I was going to order the exact same one again.
When I first bought the coat it was $80US. 5 years later it is now $150 US. The coat is worth that, but ... it makes it less fun.
BUT ... I found a copy of it for just over $100 so if you'd like to partake in the Upper East Side fun, 5 years after everyone else I still recommend it.
They seem to be the same coat but the prices range depending on who is selling it.
By the WAY
If you're in Canada and you ever have something shipped to you from the US, before you pay anything for customs or duty read my post about how to self clear the item. You CAN refuse to pay UPS broker fees and self clear the item yourself.
And that is the story of The Upper East Side Coat. Now I just have to decide whether or not I'm moving on up again or not.
Have a good weekend! Christmas House Tour on Monday. And if I happen to take a fun photo between now and Sunday morning, there will be a puzzle post too.
Charlotte Landon
I purchased one 5 years ago because of your recommendation and not because I knew anything about east or west or upper or lower sides. Wore it to tour The Biltmore and a group of women gasped collectively and asked where I had gotten it. They pulled out phones on the spot and ordered theirs. Same thing happened in Aspen. I just pulled it out of the closet and it still looks great.
Karen
Doesn't it elicit strong responses from people?! It's just a great coat, I'm so glad you got it and had the same experience I did. Although to be fair - I did not get to wear mine to the Biltmore. ;) ~ karen!
Randy P
the perfect outfit for movin' on up to a DEELUX apartment in the sky..... a little "Jeffersons" homage on a late Friday eve... no extra charge.
Karen
You don't get points for that because I led you into it with my last paragraph or so. Bah. I'll give you partial points, I guess, because I'm feeling generousish. ~ karen!
Randy P
Hah! - I knew was way over my skis even commenting on "fashion". lol
Karen
hahaha! ~ karen
LeAnna Dezzani
Thank you for posting this!! I wasn't sure about this coat, thought it was cute but couldn't find any pics in the cream color. (Ordered the cream btw)
Just curious, what brand/style are your boots? They look stylish but very practical.
Karen
Hi LeAnna! I bought the army green one for my niece for her birthday this summer and it looks great too! The boots are Hermes and so you're right, they're incredibly stylish but ... they're anything but practical, lol. The soles are plain leather and therefore incredibly slippery even on dry pavement let alone icy. My favourite practical boots are Bogs. :) Not so stylish though. ~ karen!
Mary
You look absolutely darling. It will be interesting to see if the coat trickles down to where I work at a furniture and housewares retailer in an affluent suburb of Chicago. Right now I see a lot of purses with LV’s, parkas with patches and of course, athleisurewear. Hardly anyone wears pants anymore. Hard eye roll.
Alena
I wish you had posted about it before Black Friday last year as that was when I bought my winter coat. Now I stuck wearing a coat from Mark's Wearhouse (but actually it was designed by Hilary Radley so not so bad). I have enjoyed every HR coat I ever owned (several).
But, I would not buy a coat online - I need to try it on first (I don't enjoy returning stuff having to pay shipping charges plus the customs fee always irritate me).
Also, seeing the coat, I bet the side pockets would be right under my boobs because I don't understand who the manufacturers are designing for. I can't even buy anything with a defined waist (because said waist would end up under the boobage as already mentioned).
I was told I have long legs (I don't). Even if I did have long legs, wouldn't it then indicate I have short torso? I must be a total misfit because apparently I have long legs as well as a long torso (again, I assure you I don't).
It's frustrating (and often futile) to find something that sort of fits me.
elaine martin
This is probably why the copy is awful and why you can find it under different names: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/01/the-strange-brands-in-your-instagram-feed/550136/
Rosiland Ball
is it warm?
Karen
Yep. Probably not as warm as my Canada goose but it wasn't $1,000 either! It's much more manageable than the Canada Goose. Not so big, heavy and bulky. ~ karen
Susan
You have a fantastic shape woman!!! Don't hide it in that coat!!
Karen
LOL! I'm going to assume you're from an area in North America where you don't experience winter. Because in Canada, mid-ice storm, no one is all that concerned about showing off their shape. We're concerned about not getting frost bite. Besides. I still think it looks good! I've never been one to subscribe to the theory that you have to wear tight or form fitting clothing to show off your shape. Some of the most beautiful silhouettes are by Japanese designers who let fabric float on a body rather than conform to it. But there I go talking about clothing again. Betty will be quite proud. ;) ~ karen!
Lorrie Jamieson
I went onto Amazon.ca to order this, and find that Canadian prices are more than double American ... I'm too far away from the border for a quick trip south so will put this into my "it was a nice idea but maybe no" file.
Karen
Lorrie - I'm in Canada. I ordered from the American site. They ship to Canada. It was at my front door in 4 days. ~ karen!
Kari
I want this coat based on reading your Insta Story b/c I LOATHE wearing big coats. I live in the south and just cannot stand the bulkiness weighing me down for the month we need them. This coat looks so cute and not so puffy. I need this, but now, b/c you are so wildly popular, I will probably neva evah get this coat b/c those of us that are a smidge larger than XS can that size goodbye. You are probably shutting down the Amazons right now! In summary....you just saved me $80. Thanks!
Bonnie Gutierrez
Does moving to Upstate NY qualify me to acquire yet another coat?!!
Susan
I love coats, but not this one. I'm very particular about buying and wearing clothes that are at least flattering even if they're not expensive, but that front pouch isn't flattering at all. Why would any woman even a teeny tiny XS person, want to add a sack to their stomach area? I'll stick with my tall boots and a classic pea coat, slightly fitted. I loved your tale though. More clothing blogs, please!
Karen
Really, lol? I think it looks great on me if I do say so myself! ~ karen
Beth Nosworthy
Best part about the jacket on Amazon is the description:
"The hem of the eiderdown garment adopts unique crumples. This was coupled with perfect stitches and manifested a unique charm of magnificence but at the same time not too overt."
Can't beat that!
Jody
This is like a Biblical story of one begetting another and so on and so on and so on.
Also I would like, please, a detailed tour of The Coat including all the zippers and pockets and different hem lengths.
LibrarianNancy
You look great in the picture, but when you wear a size XS, EVERYTHING looks good on you. If you're a size L or larger, not so much. If I was your size, I would definitely wear that to the Dollar Tree.
Hira
But is it warm enough for a Canadian winter?
Lorrie Jamieson
It's not that cold here.
Rose
I can call you my friend? Yippee! I checked out the websites you suggested. You should model for them, you looked better in that coat, than any of the models they used. Just saying'
NinaMargo
Karen. You. Rock. That. Look. Gave up parkas when I left Montana for Arizona, though, so will admire it from afar, preferring sundresses and sandals. (Or maybe wrinkles to chilblain ?!)
Karen
Arizona! That's a place I want to visit. ~ karen!
NinaMargo
I would be honored!
Mary W
The color is perfect - from the boots up to the coat then on to your hair. If they only sold a brownish, streaked gray color, I might pull off the look, also. LOL Of course in Florida I could only pull it off a couple days a year. But oh that wonderful neckline to keep out the winds does look inviting. That is reason enough to buy 'the coat' for those cold evenings walking the dog! Tell Betty it was a great blob today!
Sabina
I just can't...maybe it's just me but...no. I just do not like this jacket.
Julie
You’re not the only one - I just don’t like it either. Karen’s writing however I do like.
And does anyone else see the connection to the description of the coat to anything ever described in the “J Peterman catalogue” from Seinfeld????
Ellie Fournier
Ditto
Karen
What's funny, is if I remember correctly, Sabina changed her mind, bought the coat and loved it. But I'll wait to see if she replies. I could be wrong! ~ karen