Rated 3 out of 5 by LivinLovely Boxy, excellent quality vest: Pros & Cons
I am a bit torn about this vest; it has wonderful qualities and some not so great qualities. The craftsmanship is undeniably excellent, is overall pretty comfortable to wear, but the design of unrelieved squares is so boxy that I am made to look about twice my actual size. I am a 5'2", 140#, 36D chest woman and I have the Medium, which allows for a bit of room, movement and layering. Sizing down with the very boxy styling would not change the look much.
Things I love: The zippers, which are excellent YKK quality. I dig the button-flap covered, 2-way main zipper; love the cozy soft, stretchy 2 outer hand pockets, which wonderfully zip closed with a slim and burly pull tab; adore that there is a roomy, soft lined, ZIPPERED inside pocket; there is a second slim Velcro closed inside pocket which is better than no pocket, but would have been even better as a second zippered one. Nice smooth, strong fabric, reinforced where needed, love that it is water resistant, but there is no stretch or movement in the design, although the 2-way zipper helps with this. The "dark raspberry" is more of a lighter, brighter, reddish/dark pink/deep fuchsia color than the online picture and is lovely. The beautifully cut arm openings make me go ahhh in comfort and happiness, since they are the perfect size for movement, layers, wearing alone and are never, ever restrictive, while not being too large. Thank you LLBean, spot on!
Things that I don't love: As above, the extremely boxy shape and design, which makes me a boxy rectangle from shoulders to an inch/2inches above my bum. Love the length of the vest, but not the shipping crate it makes me into. Also, with no give/stretch to the design and no real shaping, the design is a bit constrictive and stiff, so not the ideal active down vest, but, as said, the two-way zipper relieves some of this. Thank goodness the fur collar is FAKE, and it is soft, but I think the vest is classier and more comfortable without it. The collar is easy to remove, the leftover button holes are flat and unobtrusive, and the down collar is great by itself and nicely zips to my chin; no chin protector on this vest, but the inner zipper wind flap and outer snap zipper cover make this fine. This vest is also heavier/weightier than other fill-power down that I have come across and own, which, along with the boxy design and somewhat restricted movement, makes it a tad cumbersome. If the cut/design was improved, the extra weight would not be an issue.
Overall, a good but not incredible down vest. At the $29.99 price tag, I will be keeping the vest and using it, enjoying its lovely good qualities and managing the not so good.
March 29, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by LLBeanwannabe Great fitting vest!
This vest is scrumptious! I have about 25 vests. I add a new LLBean vest every year. They last forever - very warm. I live in Louisiana where the weather does not stay cold, and I stay hot. These vests are perfect for this climate. I send my vests to the laundry and they come out beautiful. The color of this vest is what I call "winter white." It is beautiful. The fit is perfect. I wear a large and this vest fits perfect. I like everything about this vest, even the fur that is attached. The fur makes this vest look rich! I was lucky on this vest in that it was on sale and I had a coupon. I paid only $19.99 for it! How about that?! I love LLBean. Thanks again for this vest.
March 26, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Maxthecatsmom Love it!
Excellent quality down vest, very nice and warm, well made, interior cell phone and another zipped pocket, love the details. I'm not into fur, fake or real, took it off. Liked it so much, such a good price I ordered another in White.
March 14, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by bostonnorth don't necessarily order up a size
I am in the process or swapping out a large for a medium. I had read reviews here, a few who said to order up a size. Don't necessarily do that. My large came and was noticeably big--large on me. I am going to get the medium I would have otherwise usually ordered.
But I am glad I will still get my size and color. I have the 3/4 length coat too, and it fits beautifully and is warm too. This vest will be plenty warm and I won't need a gigantic sweater underneath it. Vests are supposed to be worn with thinner sweaters anyway.
March 12, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by lani1 Best vest ever
I love this vest. Just ordered my second one. The fur collar is so warm and snuggley on my neck. Runs a tad small,especially across chest. I am a 40 C and extra large fits perfect.
March 3, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by AnnaBanana14 Like it, like it, like it
With the recent cold weather, I wanted something warm to layer without being to bound up. This vest is satisfactory on several fronts. It falls straight to the hip, it is toasty warm, it has nice zipper closed side pockets, and it has two interior pockets. For me who likes to keep her neck warm and, to that end, usually wears a scarf, the faux fur collar is a big plus when I go out into the chill wind and the cold. Pull up the zipper, and, there, no cold draft is going to run down my neck.
January 26, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by Scrapbooker26 Comfortable
I purchased the vest in white and really like the color and style. I don't usually wear a lot of white and was a little skeptical at first, but the black and brown were sold out. I'm glad I chose the white and I've worn the vest several times. It keeps me warm and is very comfortable. A great vest to wear when you need sometime warm, but don't want a coat. Great to wear while running errands/shopping. I also love that it has pockets!
January 23, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by eMacII Really like this vest
This a warm and good looking vest, less sporty looking than the nylon types. I have the brown and so far it's been good color for work and casual use.
January 23, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by benicat Very Pleased
This Ultrawarm vest is wonderful. Fits well--I am a medium and that size fits me. Very warm and the collar is snuggly. I wear it as outerwear over a wool sweater, or inside in cold places.
January 21, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by Cleo50 Ultrawarm Vest - Great Purchase!
I wear a size 12-14, 38D, 5'4". The size L was a great fit, although I wouldn't mind if the vest was a bit longer. This piece is perfect for the Southern California "Winter" seasons. The vest is warm and the on seam pockets are soft and cozy. However I do not like zippers on pockets you put your hands in. There are two albeit somewhat small pockets,inside the vest. one on each edge of the inside for inanimate objects like phone, money, chapstick, etc. This garment is made very well. I love the faux fur color. I have worn my vest a lot already.
January 19, 2013
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