I've read all of your posts on the Manuela! You have been SO informative in all the posts you've written in this thread! For Manuela, I got the Navy in size US 0 which is a good fit, but the others I got in US 2 as the US 0 size is SO hard to come by / difficult to locate. I had some friends in Europe pop into MaxMara shops to inquire about the coat, and London and Heathrow were all sold out of US 0, 2, and 4. I'm not sure if MM is having supply chain issues, but apparently they are selling like hot cakes. The Madame was sold out in the smallest sizes too. I resorted to having some friends in Japan pick it up for me from Omotesando and ship it to me. The US 2 fits a little loose, but it's a pretty barely perceptible difference. I think in between sizes is only 0.5 inch increase in most metrics (shoulder width, length, etc.).
Do you find that the Manuela can carry your through the coldest days on the east coast? I'm realizing that I can wear camel hair down to 32F / 0C, as long as I layer correctly and have scarves/gloves. Below that, I start switching to down and puffers as I have a strong fear of the cold!
Yes, I agree with size difference is pretty minimal, especially since Manuela is an oversized look. I went back and forth between size 2 & 4, and as you said, it was so minimal, I went with the 4 so I can easily put my coat on when I wear thick sweaters. This is especially true since thick sweaters are so popular now.
On temperature, I hate the cold too!
I am a big fan of mittens. You gotta get mittens over gloves if your hands get cold, and mine are always cold.
I have worn the Manuela in temperatures as low as 20F. However, I really bundle up on those days which includes a scarf around my neck, mittens, and tall knee high boots. Anything below 20F, I will add a beanie hat (you lose a lot of heat from your head).
The double-layer wrap effect...
Another reason why I went with the large size Manuela is the hidden benefit of the double-layer wrap. I seem to favor coats that wrap. Why?
Because when you wrap yourself up, it's like getting double layers in the front of your body. With the Manuela in a slightly bigger size, I can pretty much wrap my front in double layer effect... super warm! Just take one side first and bring it around snug. Then bring the other side over it. It looks great too. I think this helps a lot in keeping me warm.
I learned that double-layer wrap idea from a Burberry SA. I was buying a trench coat (e.g. Kensington), and when I tried it on, I started to tie it normally and it kind of got bunchy. The SA then kindly showed me "another way to tie it" (e.g. her nice way of saying you're doing it wrong!) She basically took one side of the coat and pulled it over snug to my body (did not use the buttons), and then pulled the other side the same and then tied the belt. It made the coat look really chic too. Oh, and she put the knot NOT in the center, but right over the line of the outer edge of the wrap. I love that look.
I know... off topic and I side tracked, but I wanted to share that tip.
Back to warmth...
Mittens... the secret to warmth for me is mittens (not gloves). If my hands are cold, no matter what coat I wear, I always feel cold. In super cold weather, I have a pair of sheepskin mittens that look crazy, but they are super warm. They are made in New Zealand, and I order them online and have them shipped to me.
Genuine sheepskin mittens for men and women provide maximum warmth in the coldest of weather. New Zealand made from Kiwi Sheepskins
www.kiwisheepskins.com
It's been in the 40s, and I have been wearing my ivory Max Mara mittens which have been fine. I really like the ivory ones. My husband says they look so cute, like paws.
Speaking of sheepskin, if I may go off-topic for another two seconds...
I also have booties that I wear at home when it's super cold. These are so so warm! I love the soft sole bottom. These are also by Kiwi and made in New Zealand.
Soft sole indoor sheepskin slippers, popular bootie style with cattle hide soles - New Zealand made from Kiwi Sheepskins. Vast stocks, order now!
www.kiwisheepskins.com
Now you make me want to buy the camel Manuela! I already have two other camel Max Mara coats though and rarely wear those. Ironically, the classic camel shade is the shade I wear the least.
By the way, if you are interested in the red Manuela, Saks, NM and Max Mara website all have red. You probably red my post on the rust-red Rialto from the Max Mara website, so if you decide to get red, I would suggest getting it from NM or Saks as they probably have a different batch of red which is more a true red (unless you want a rust-red).
Hope this helps.
between Manuela and Teddy, I would go for Manuela purely for the versatility of it but saying that, if you live in a cold climate and you love the Teddy, go for it, it is an amazing coat and I can't thing of one negative think I could say about it (wears very well, still looks as good as the first day a got it, warm, comfortable and it looks amazing IMHO)
