Classic Swing Coat From New York Company By ValerieDavid on Nov 06, 2007 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

New York & Company's cotton swing coat was a great find. Lightweight but surprisingly warm, this coat works for fall into early winter with no problem. The material is a smoother form of corduroy, adding a slightly textured look to the lighter colored options. The 2% spandex content allows for just enough stretch for ease of mobility, but not enough to make it clingy or lose its shape.

The generous collar, metal trimmed buttons, and slight a-line cut make this a very flattering and feminine coat. New York & Company clothes are great for tall girls; at 5'10, the sleeves are still a bit long for me. With the $60 sale price (less with NY&C's fabulous coupons), it's definitely worth paying for a quick hem of the sleeves if you need it. As with most coats these days, the buttons are sewn a bit loosely so you might want to add a few more reinforcing loops as well.

The coat is available in black, red, and tan. Be sure to try on whichever color you plan to buy. For me it seemed the black fit a little better than the tan one did. The coats are cut generously, so it works well even with sweaters or hoodies underneath. Something to keep in mind when choosing a color is that being cotton, there will be some wrinkling, and the lighter tan color will show the wrinkles more.

New York & Company is selling cream turtlenecks and I highly recommend getting one to go under this coat. It's a great naval-inspired classic look. The coat is versatile and works well with either casual outfits or dressier ones.