A Letter From Vivian: The Quilted Jackets
A letter from the founder
Somewhere along the way, a woman stops buying anything with flowers on it. I never accepted that.
On the six things that made me choose these quilted jackets, how they compare to the coats you have been buying, and why they are $69.95 for our twentieth year.
I am Vivian, and I opened this boutique twenty years ago with one idea: that a woman should not have to choose between comfortable and beautiful.
There is a second thing that happens, though, and nobody names it out loud. Somewhere in her fifties a woman stops buying anything with a pattern on it.
Not because she stopped liking color. Because everything offered to her in a warm jacket came in navy, in charcoal, or in that particular beige that is supposed to be safe. So she took the sensible one. And then the next one. Until one October she opened the coat closet and everything in it had quietly agreed not to be looked at.
I never accepted that a woman had to choose.
These are my answer — more of them than I could sensibly narrow down, because the whole point is that you pick your own. There were six things I would not do without.
Quilted, so the warmth does not come from weight
A coat keeps you warm by being thick. A quilted jacket does it by trapping air in the channels between the stitching, which means it can be warm and still weigh almost nothing on the shoulders. That is the whole reason I went looking for these rather than another wool coat. It is warmth you can carry over your arm.
“The quilting gives me just enough warmth without feeling heavy. I’ve been reaching for it on cool mornings and breezy afternoons.”
Marilyn R., AshevilleA print you would find in a linen closet, not a store window
This is where most printed jackets go wrong. A print that is too bright reads as costume; a print that is too small disappears into fabric. We chose painted florals in soft, slightly faded colors — the kind of pattern that looks like it has been in the family. It gives you color without asking you to become a different person to wear it.
“The floral print is even prettier in person. It adds color to my usual jeans and neutral sweaters without feeling too loud.”
Patricia M., CharlestonShape, without stiffness
A padded jacket wants to become a box. Ours are cut with a defined shoulder and a slight taper through the body, so there is a line to them — but the quilting stays soft enough that you can push the sleeves up and sit down in it without fighting the thing. Structure and softness usually pull against each other. This is the compromise I was willing to accept.
“I like that it has shape without feeling stiff or bulky. It layers nicely over a light sweater.”
Susan T., RichmondMade for the weather that has no name
There is a stretch of the year — six weeks in fall, six more in spring — where a coat is too much and a cardigan is not enough. That gap is where most wardrobes have nothing at all. These were chosen for exactly that: warm enough at seven in the morning, and not so warm that you have to take it off the moment you sit down indoors.
“Wore this to brunch on a chilly Sunday and stayed comfortable the whole time. It feels warm without being too much indoors.”
Janet C., Savannah“This has become my in-between weather jacket. Light enough for fall afternoons but still cozy when the temperature drops.”
Diane P., KnoxvillePretty, but never fussy
A floral can tip very quickly into something you would only wear to a garden party. What keeps these on the right side of it is the quilting. The stitched channels are a plain, practical, almost workwear detail, and putting them underneath a soft floral is what makes the whole thing wearable on a Tuesday. Feminine on top, sensible underneath.
“The flowers make it feel feminine, but the quilted style keeps it casual enough for everyday wear.”
Linda B., RaleighEvery print, S to 3XL, one price
I could not choose for you, so I did not try. There are painted florals in a good many different moods, a couple of abstracts, a hand-drawn circle print, and one covered in small dogs. Every one runs S through 3XL and every one is the same price, so the only decision left to you is which pattern you want to look at on the hook by your door.
“I’ve worn mine with jeans, black pants, and a simple dress. It changes the whole outfit without much effort.”
Barbara H., GreenvilleThese, against the jackets you’ve been buying
| Most $70 fall jackets | Vivian’s quilted jackets | |
|---|---|---|
| Warmth | Warm because it is heavy | Warm because of the quilting |
| Color | Navy, charcoal or beige | A print for every mood |
| Shape | Padding that boxes you in | A defined line, still soft |
| Season | Too much, or not enough | Built for the in-between weeks |
| Sizing | Runs to L, if you are lucky | S through 3XL, every print |
I refuse to sell a woman a jacket that asks her to be invisible in order to be warm. That is the whole reason I brought these into the shop.
Why we’re clearing them now
These launched at $199.95 and sold at that price all season. But this year the boutique turns twenty, and my daughter Pearl now works beside me — which is not something I let myself expect when I started. We wanted to give something back to the women who have kept our doors open since 2006, so every one of them is going out at just over a third of what it was.
If twenty years of running this little shop has taught me anything, it is that the woman who buys her first printed thing in a decade comes back within the month for the second. That is the quiet bet I am placing in writing to you at $69.95.
★★★★★4.8 out of 5 — from 3,524+ reviews
$199.95$69.95
20th Anniversary Sale — Save 65%
- Quilted padding — warmth without the weight
- Painted prints in soft, faded colors
- A defined shoulder and a soft, unstiff body
- Made for the in-between weeks of fall and spring
- Every print — sizes S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL
- Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
Every print · $69.95 while sizes last
Of everything in the shop this fall, these are the ones I most enjoy watching a woman decide on. She goes past them. She comes back. She holds one up against herself and looks a little surprised.
If your coat closet has quietly gone neutral, go and look at the prints. I hope you find the one that makes you stop.
— Vivian · Vivian & Pearl Newport
See the collection — $69.95 each →This is a personal letter from the founder of Vivian & Pearl Newport. Customer reviews are quoted as written. · US family brand since 2006 · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee.