How to Rock a Cropped Plus Coat
September 30, 2009 by Meieli Detoni
Filed under Plus Size
Cropped coats can be so tricky, and I’m going to work through this with you! I have a cropped coat that’s been nothing but challenging in terms of styling, and I have learned a lot about how to make this particular silhouette work. If you’re afraid of having your plus cropped coat look baggy or shapeless, this is what I do to tailor the fit just for me.
Image: Torrid
1. Pin it! If your cropped plus jacket is too boxy, fold a back seam or gather a small pleat along the back of your coat, and then affix it with a decorative pin.
2. Fold it. If you have a plus coat with 3/4 sleeves, consider wearing a long-sleeved, button-down shirt beneath and then folding up the sleeves right over the tops of the coat sleeves.
3. Layer it. Try your cropped coat over a long tunic for a play on silhouettes. If you wear a shorter top and a cropped jacket, you might feel a draft in the cold, or your torso could look too short.
4. Aim for a cool contrast. Sometimes, when you wear black-on-black or navy-on-navy, you confuse the eye. If you try a jewel-tone top underneath a cropped coat, you can emphasize your curves and still bring color into your ensemble.
Cropped Jacket Dos: There are plenty of different cropped jacket styles from which to choose, like the super short “chubby” style, but if you need something lightly longer, you can choose a coat that shows just a peek of your layers beneath. Cropped jackets are your chance to make patterns work for you, so look for new seasonal brights, including stripes, swirls, flowers, and paisley in rainbow palettes. Not all jackets need to be boring and neutral, and cropped coats use less fabric, meaning that you can go brighter than ever. When it gets colder, buy a pair of gorgeous long, leather gloves to keep your exposed forearms toasty. Top it off with a beret!
Cropped Jacket Don’ts: Cropped coats can be dangerous if you are an apple shape. You’ll find that if you have muffin tendencies around the waistline, many cropped coats won’t flatter your shape. Look for trapeze coats instead that hit right at the hip as a compromise, or choose a classic cropped jacket, wearing it over an empire-waisted blouse or similar cute blouse style. Wearing dark layers underneath will also help streamline things.
