I'm a size 16 and I've been putting well-known jackets to the test – I've finally found my favorite
IF you still need to buy a winter coat, don't fear, you've come to the right place.
We asked confident babe Elizabeth Carley-Leonard to try out and review a selection of jackets from the high street so you don't have to.
Speaking from Leicester, Elisabeth, who is 6ft tall and a size 16 with 36E breasts, told Fabulous exclusively: “Let's play a game of smash or pass, curvy girl, winter coat edition.
“I'm going to give you my honest review of coats and jackets from a few different brands.
“For reference, all of these jackets and coats are UK size 16.”
Here Elisabeth was put to the test and shared her opinion about the winter range from New Look, M&S, Primark and Next, among others.
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Elisabeth revealed the perfect coat for winter, which she was sure to kill – as well as the coats she would definitely pass on.
New look
First up, the influencer tried on a gray coat, as she explained: “The first one is from New Look and costs £69.99.
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“This is a blow. There are bonus points because the sleeve length is good, the shoulders fit very nicely and the buttons really button up.”
Elisabeth also tried on a black and white coat, also from New Look, as she said: “This is then from the Tall range from New Look. Again, size 16, it costs £35.
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“Passage. There is no lining, so the material doesn't feel Nice on my skin.
“I feel like you couldn't do it all the way up with curves and it just wouldn't stay in place.”
But that's not all, because Elisabeth then designed a khaki puffer jacket, but was not impressed with the price.
The fashionista said: “Another New Look coat and I feel like these long lined puffer coats are everywhere these days.
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“But I think you can get very similar jackets, very similar quality, at different price points that are more affordable.
“The fact that this costs £79.99 unfortunately puts it in the pass category. But I love everything else.”
Elisabeth mixed things up a bit and then tried a shacket – but she wasn't sold, as she continued: 'I've got another one here from New Look, this one costs £39.99.
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“I don't like this, there's no lining, it's quite itchy on the inside.
“It feels a bit cheap and I certainly wouldn't pay £40 for something like this. Hard pass.”
For the latest New Look issue, Elisabeth then tried a £59.99 purchase but was equally unimpressed.
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She explained: “Why would you have an inner lining like that? At first I looked at it and thought 'yeah, that's cute'.
“As for the design, I like it. In terms of fit, I like it. The fact that the inside is made of some kind of fake leather? I do not like that.
“It was a bull's eye, but unfortunately it will have to be a pass.”
Primark
Elisabeth then tried on some coats from Primark, the first of which was a short gray coat.
She beamed at the purchase and said: 'This is from Primark and this is a size L, technically a size 14-16 and costs £28.
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“I'm a little surprised at how good the quality is.
“It feels more expensive than it is, so skip this one.”
Things went well for Primark as Elisabeth then modeled a puffer jacket.
The fashion fan raved about the 'shower-proof' quality: “As for the puffers, I got these from Primark, which are actually shower-proof.
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“Big again, so 14-16. You know what I love – you can cinch it in around the waist – because let's face it, puffer jackets aren't always the most flattering things.
“If we can sometimes define our waist, bonus points are also given for that.
“The fact that this can withstand a shower and is only £32 really puts it in the smash category for me.”
Elisabeth also tried on another jacket from Primark, but was slightly bewildered when she tried to put it on.
She added: “This is from Primark, size 14 to 16, and it's from their Edit collection.
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“This [neck attachment] confused me for a moment. I initially liked this one – until this happened.
'It gives a straitjacket. It was a hit, but now it's a pass.”
Next came Elisabeth's favorite coat of the bunch: a beautiful beige wool jacket, as she beamed: “This is another one from the Primark Edit, so the top segment.
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“It's a 14-16, it's a 50% wool blend and costs £60. I think this is my favorite so far.
“The fact that this is only £60…This is a bargain. This is a blow.
“This goes to the top of the list. This is the best of the bunch.”
Marks & Spencer
The fashion fan then tried out a number of offerings from Marks & Spencer, starting with a beige coat, which earned her mixed reviews.
She revealed: “This one is from M&S and is apparently showerproof, from their Stormwear range.
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“It's also thermo-warm, which means it's warm without being heavy, so I really like that. But it's €89.
“Advantages: very light, very comfortable, fits nicely, because M&S sometimes run small.
“But cons: I don't like the design, what's going on with these bags? It feels like I'm wearing a duvet. It is a pass.”
Elisabeth then added some color to her collection as she modeled a bright green jacket from M&S.
She continued: “This one is from M&S and costs £69.
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“I really like this one; it is lined and does not feel too heavy.
“The only thing for me: the sleeve length could be a little longer, but I'm tall.
“I like it – why not have a pop of color in winter?”
Next one
Elisabeth then modeled a £45 Yours Curve teddy bear jacket from Next and was not impressed.
She admitted: “This one is yours, it feels very thin.
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“It's a pass. There is no lining, it feels very thin and the internal material feels very hard.
“On the inside of the hood, all the seams have been removed, so that from the back you can see that it looks like an unfinished garment.
“The worst of the bunch.”
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