I have a love-hate relationship with statement coats. Some days, they’re my worst enemy when it comes to dressing, especially on a day I’m feeling fashionably burnt out and want to simply put on an all-black outfit and move on with my day. Other times, though, an eye-catching coat is the outfit, allowing everything else to come secondary and serving past its purpose of providing me warmth. While it’s hard to strike a balance between cute and hypothermia-proof, I think I’ve found it in the most unlikely of places: the Macy’s sale rack.
Before you stop reading, hear me out. The retailer isn’t the obvious choice when it comes to shopping for chic winter attire. I live down the street from the brand’s flagship New York City store, so I’ll occasionally pop in on my way back from work or when I need to do some retail therapy. It is, however, a far cry from the tried-and-true retailers I check every morning. When I saw this polka-dot trench at a recent event for the brand’s new womenswear launch, I was sold. It looks eerily similar to another coat by a well-known designer from years ago that sold out once, and I’ve been hunting at The RealReal ever since. After seeing it, I had to test it out myself.
From New York to Seoul to Porto, this trench coat came with the compliments attached. Everywhere I go, I get asked at least twice about it—mostly from other chic editors whose jaws drop when I tell them it’s from Macy’s. While wearing it during Seoul Fashion Week, I got flagged down by a group of fashion students, who asked where I bought it. When strangers start feeling your outfit, that’s when you know you did something right.