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Sézane: A Favorite Brand for High-Quality, Unique Pieces at Affordable Prices

courtesy of extrapetite.com

Sézane has quickly become a favorite brand for EP readers this year, especially for those who want high quality, more unique pieces that are still below the $$$ price points of contemporary brands. Several of you have asked about their trench coat and cardigans, so I popped into my local store and also requested a few pieces to review. To see some of these pieces in motion, check my Instagram video. Here’s a few of my past try-ons and reviews:

A French-Chic, Chunky Knit Cardigan

Pictured above: a French-chic, chunky knit cardigan in an organic cotton & wool blend that looks good open or closed. XXS is a relaxed fit on me that’s oversized but not overwhelming for petites (I folded the sleeve up once).

My tip when shopping Sézane sweaters online is to always look at the material composition first. In my experience their cotton and wool blends usually have a smooth finish and minimal itch factor, while their kid mohair or alpaca yarn blends (i.e. on their Gaspard cardigan) have a fluffier finish with more of an itch factor when worn against bare skin. As I expected, this Wilson cardigan has a smooth finish and isn’t itchy at all for me.

A Stylish and Functional Trench Coat

This trench has caught my eye for a while, being a good middle ground between a traditional tailored trench coat and the more on trend, relaxed and oversized ones. The weight of this jacket is substantial and fully lined, and I absolutely love that it’s functionally made in a water-repellant 100% organic cotton material. Per a few of my friends who’ve bought this, they find it to be TTS and a very well priced coat for the quality.

Sizing starts in US 0 online but my local store only had a US 2. The 2 is understandably big on me; I think a 0 would be a normally relaxed fit, and petites would just need to get the sleeves shortened or wear them pushed up. This trench is one of Sézane’s evergreen pieces, which means I’ve seen sold-out sizes restocked every few months.

The Cardigan of the Year

This is their cardigan of the year and I actually first saw it on my 5’2″ MIL looking so cute (would make a great gift)! For petites, especially my fellow gals 5 feet and under, I will say the J.Crew Emilie cardigan is more petite-friendly and still my top pick for a cardigan jacket. I compared the size XXS in both cardigans, and the Emilie is more shrunken fit all around with an inch shorter sleeves than the Betty. If you don’t mind a regular fit instead of a shrunken / cropped fit, the Sézane Betty is a well-made option that comes in so many pretty colors and textures.

Showcasing the Fit and Length

In addition to "styled" photos, I wanted to show some of these sweaters fully untucked and un-styled so you get a better idea of the fit and length.

courtesy of extrapetite.com

This cardigan was a pleasant surprise, with slimmer petite-friendly proportions, a lovely neutral color and a smooth, comfortable feel against the skin. Again I wanted to show the length untucked on my 5′ frame.

This feminine cardigan has stunning details that would elevate any plain outfit. Just note that it’s a fluffy, more airy sweater in a wool & kid mohair yarn blend. As mentioned above, if you have sensitive skin, this yarn blend will probably have an itch factor unless you layer underneath.

I received this blouse as a gift earlier this year and would love to see a piece like this in petite sizing. Pluses for me are the crepe-like fabric is substantial feeling with nice drape, and in many beautiful colors like a jewel-toned green (note, the white color is still a little see through despite the medium thickness). The fit though is best for regular sizing or someone 5’2″ and above, as you can see how the sleeve length pools at my wrists.

Shoe Try-Ons: Loafers with Cushioning

When I popped into the Boston store recently I tried on a couple of pairs of shoes. First up are their popular Paula Babies (Google didn’t clarify this for me, but I’m guessing "Babies" is a way to say Mary Janes in French?) which I personally found to be well-made but stiff, so I prefer my J.Crew ones.

For those who are in the market for a flat loafer with slight platforms, though, I was impressed by how both the Albane loafers and Vicky loafers were very cushioned and comfortable!