The beauty of MAX MARA coats...(photos please)

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Found your runway coat on the Max Mara website:

It's quite big, and it's also longer at 130cm vs. 110cm (51" vs. 43"). That's a really long coat in my opinion.
For me, I would go with the original. I think the original Teddy is oversized enough. Plus, I'm not a fan of the sleeve hems of the Maxi Teddy coat. Those stitches at the hem will cause the puffy Teddy fabric to flatten near it, and I prefer a totally puffy look on the sleeves for the Teddy look. It's up to you though and what you prefer.

Hope this helps. Good luck deciding!
The original Teddy is also probably a better investment, so I think I’ll go with the original. Thanks so much! Definitely helped me.
 
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The original Teddy is also probably a better investment, so I think I’ll go with the original. Thanks so much! Definitely helped me.
I'm glad it was helpful. The original Teddy is a gorgeous coat for that oversized puffy look.
Aside from the classic camel color, there are so many new colors now. I don't know if you saw there is a lilac, so if you are looking for something in the pink family, the lilac is close. There is also a white. I totally love that white.


Whatever color you choose, it will be beautiful. Congratulations on your soon to be new coat!
I am so excited and happy for you!
 
The Manuela is super durable. Camel hair fabric, in addition to being warm, is quite durable. The hairs are longer; hence, it also does not pill. Over the years, the hairs get this fuzzy bubbly look but it does not "pill" in the sense of loose balls.

I have used my coats a lot when traveling (and I travel quite often on business). When I travel, I lug a super heavy tote on my shoulder. The tote is so heavy, I use one of those padded shoulder straps, but my coat has no issues at all.

As for weather, camel hair fibers are naturally water resistant. I have worn my coat in the snow, and there was no problem.
This coat is meant to be worn and worn often. It's durable.

The Max Mara Manuela is an icon coat, and it's not only because the style is gorgeous, but because these coats are durable and have stood the test of wear & tear. I bet there are people who have Manuelas that are over a decade old.

Speaking of camel hair fabric, not just the Manuela...
I have a Max Mara coat bought in 2010. It is black camel hair. The camel hair has that typical "bubbly" look from being worn (e.g. the "ripples" are a bit lost). Yet the fabric is still solid, no holes, no wear spots, none of that.
It's hard to describe the camel hair "ripple" look of a fresh coat, but since your coat is also new, stare at it and you can see what I mean. Over time, the “ripples” will soften to more a "bubbly" look. I'm not a fabric expert, so this is probably the worst description of camel hair, but I hope you get the idea.

Camel hair is tough... don't worry, enjoy your beautiful coat! Wear it with everything!

Now that I've gone down a rabbit hole, I need to finish it up... new matching mittens and leather gloves!
As you already know, I am a mittens lover. I think they are so cute when worn.

I am going to get these matching mittens for my camel color Manuela. I will wait for Black Friday to see if they go on sale. I can't imagine these will sell out as I see them sold on many websites (e.g. MM, Saks, BG, NM).
FYI in case you might like it too.

Congrats on your new Manuelas! That's amazing that you kept both -- I agree that black and camel are the best colors to own in this coat. I wear my black one the most too, but am also trying to wear the camel more. I think the Manuela coat is the best coat I've ever worn, and the design is so timeless, that I can see myself wearing this design for decades. Thus why I don't mind owning them in so many colors, I guess!
I know exactly what you mean by the "ripple" feature of the fabric. I have one Manuela (navy) that has the fluffing from frequent wear, and while it doesn't affect the performance or warmth of the coat at all, it also bothers me slightly. So I am on the same page!
Would love to see photos of your old and new Manuelas :smile: :smile: :smile:
 
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Congrats on your new Manuelas! That's amazing that you kept both -- I agree that black and camel are the best colors to own in this coat. I wear my black one the most too, but am also trying to wear the camel more. I think the Manuela coat is the best coat I've ever worn, and the design is so timeless, that I can see myself wearing this design for decades. Thus why I don't mind owning them in so many colors, I guess!
I know exactly what you mean by the "ripple" feature of the fabric. I have one Manuela (navy) that has the fluffing from frequent wear, and while it doesn't affect the performance or warmth of the coat at all, it also bothers me slightly. So I am on the same page!
Would love to see photos of your old and new Manuelas :smile: :smile: :smile:
I think it's great you have multiple Manuelas. I am a huge believer in buying repeats and multiples of items you love, especially items that look great on you! I am sure the Manuela looks fabulous on you.

I think navy in the Manuela is a seasonal color, similar to red, so if you want to get a new navy, now is the time! I saw it on the NM website when I was browsing for new colors this year. There is also an EGC promotion now at NM, so you would be getting about 22% off for the coat (you get $750 back in an EGC for the $3,450 coat).

Ripples! Okay.... now that I started this talk about the ripples, I should probably elaborate.
I'm horrible with photos, but here are some I took as an example of the "ripples". Your post is good timing as I am going to give away my old coats tomorrow and re-home them. Hence, I can't take comparison photos after tomorrow!

To summarize the terms I use. To me,
Ripples... are the curvy flowing nap you see in the camel fabric, like the ripples of water on the ocean.
Bubbles... are the round, rolled up camel hairs on the fabric, like little curly bubble hair on an actual camel's undercoat.

The first four photos show my new Manuelas with the ripples. You can see the nice curvy, flowing ripples on the arms in the first two photos. Photos 3 & 4 show the ripples in the collar (e.g. black collar and red collar), which it is very easy to see. I love how that looks and the effect.

The last two photos show a photo of the new camel coat with ripples (photo 5) and the old camel coat with bubbles (photo 6, last photo).

You can see in photo 5, the camel has that nice flowing ripple effect; it's so beautiful.
You can then see in photo 6, the ripples are no longer quite there, and they have turned into more a bubble effect.
I am not a fabric expert, and I know I am using the wrong words to describe the nap, but I hope this makes sense.

I think it's great to refresh items, especially classics. I do it all the time. Coats and other clothing get worn out looking, as they should, if one wears it often. After a while, it's no longer a beautiful Max Mara coat; it is now just a worn out looking coat. I am sure you have seen some folks wearing worn out coats. Some people love that look, but for me, I prefer a fresh coat look which if why I decided to refresh. It's all preference of course. As you said, it does not affect the warmth.

And yes, I agree with you... let's wear our camel coat more often this season! I plan to wear mine a lot.

Just my two cents and thoughts to share. I hope this was helpful.


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I think it's great you have multiple Manuelas. I am a huge believer in buying repeats and multiples of items you love, especially items that look great on you! I am sure the Manuela looks fabulous on you.

I think navy in the Manuela is a seasonal color, similar to red, so if you want to get a new navy, now is the time! I saw it on the NM website when I was browsing for new colors this year. There is also an EGC promotion now at NM, so you would be getting about 22% off for the coat (you get $750 back in an EGC for the $3,450 coat).

Ripples! Okay.... now that I started this talk about the ripples, I should probably elaborate.
I'm horrible with photos, but here are some I took as an example of the "ripples". Your post is good timing as I am going to give away my old coats tomorrow and re-home them. Hence, I can't take comparison photos after tomorrow!

To summarize the terms I use. To me,
Ripples... are the curvy flowing nap you see in the camel fabric, like the ripples of water on the ocean.
Bubbles... are the round, rolled up camel hairs on the fabric, like little curly bubble hair on an actual camel's undercoat.

The first four photos show my new Manuelas with the ripples. You can see the nice curvy, flowing ripples on the arms in the first two photos. Photos 3 & 4 show the ripples in the collar (e.g. black collar and red collar), which it is very easy to see. I love how that looks and the effect.

The last two photos show a photo of the new camel coat with ripples (photo 5) and the old camel coat with bubbles (photo 6, last photo).

You can see in photo 5, the camel has that nice flowing ripple effect; it's so beautiful.
You can then see in photo 6, the ripples are no longer quite there, and they have turned into more a bubble effect.
I am not a fabric expert, and I know I am using the wrong words to describe the nap, but I hope this makes sense.

I think it's great to refresh items, especially classics. I do it all the time. Coats and other clothing get worn out looking, as they should, if one wears it often. After a while, it's no longer a beautiful Max Mara coat; it is now just a worn out looking coat. I am sure you have seen some folks wearing worn out coats. Some people love that look, but for me, I prefer a fresh coat look which if why I decided to refresh. It's all preference of course. As you said, it does not affect the warmth.

And yes, I agree with you... let's wear our camel coat more often this season! I plan to wear mine a lot.

Just my two cents and thoughts to share. I hope this was helpful.


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I love these photos! Thanks so much for sharing!! I do love the ripples, but I also don't mind the fuzzing / "bubbles." I also notice that the fuzzing seems to occur selectively in areas of the coat that meet more friction, e.g., for me, that would be collar and sleeves, and sometimes the lapels / front of the coat. The back of the coat, which rarely gets the same level of friction, keeps the "ripples" effect over longer periods of time.

Random question (and I think this has probably been discussed already) -- how do you care for your coats? Like you, I do not baby them -- after all, coats are meant to be worn, not gathering dust in the closet! Right now, I haven't had mine long enough to test out any dry cleaners or seasonal cleaning regimen. I mostly wipe mine down after a business trip using a towel and cold water, and then I use the lint roller to pick up dust that the darker colored coats tend to pick up. This has worked out OK for me. I prefer to avoid the dry cleaners as much as possible as I hate exposing natural fabrics to those harsh dry cleaning chemicals.

I recently purchased a powerful clothes steamer...have you ever tried to steam your coats to get some wrinkles out after a winter season? I'm considering trying it and seeing if it dislodges some of the grit that gets accumulated in the long camel hair fibers. I have steamed wool coats before and it was fine.
 
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I love these photos! Thanks so much for sharing!! I do love the ripples, but I also don't mind the fuzzing / "bubbles." I also notice that the fuzzing seems to occur selectively in areas of the coat that meet more friction, e.g., for me, that would be collar and sleeves, and sometimes the lapels / front of the coat. The back of the coat, which rarely gets the same level of friction, keeps the "ripples" effect over longer periods of time.

Random question (and I think this has probably been discussed already) -- how do you care for your coats? Like you, I do not baby them -- after all, coats are meant to be worn, not gathering dust in the closet! Right now, I haven't had mine long enough to test out any dry cleaners or seasonal cleaning regimen. I mostly wipe mine down after a business trip using a towel and cold water, and then I use the lint roller to pick up dust that the darker colored coats tend to pick up. This has worked out OK for me. I prefer to avoid the dry cleaners as much as possible as I hate exposing natural fabrics to those harsh dry cleaning chemicals.

I recently purchased a powerful clothes steamer...have you ever tried to steam your coats to get some wrinkles out after a winter season? I'm considering trying it and seeing if it dislodges some of the grit that gets accumulated in the long camel hair fibers. I have steamed wool coats before and it was fine.
On caring for coats, I used to be a maniac about wearing a crispy coat, but not anymore!

When I traveled during weekday (via airplane), I would stuff my coat in the overhead bin. Once I got home that week, I would drop it off to dry clean along with whatever suits I wore that week. I would pick them up the next day, and my coat would be nice and crispy for travel again next week. Mentally, I wanted a clean pressed coat, like my suits. I would do this every week, like clockwork. This is NOT the way to do it!

I talked at length to a manager at a boutique, and he said the best way to take care of the coat is to just to hang it up after you use it. Coats are not worn all day long as you would wear a sweater or a pair of jeans. Coats are also not in direct contact with your skin, nor do you sweat directly on a coat.

The manager said for general wear cleaning, clean the coat after the end of the season, and no more than once a month. The exception, of course, is if you walk ankle deep in snow one day, get soaked in the rain, etc.

For dusting off, he said no to lint rollers. Why?
Because a very thin layer of the sticky stuff that pulls off the lint stays on the coat and attracts more lint. He also said lint rollers pull "up" on the fibers, against the nap, which is not good for the fiber (e.g. you effectively are lightly picking away at your coat). The manager said he prefers a gentle brush, using a light touch, brushing in the same direction as the nap.

Well...
I tried a bunch of brushes, and they didn't work for me. While the gentle brush may have dusted off particles, I didn't think it made the coat look crispy. I don't need to baby my coats, so I am not afraid to be a bit rough with them. My priority is to quickly and easily remove all lint and hair strands (I think hair strands on a coat look so unkemp).

This is the best lint remover I have found. I love it! You brush in the same direction as the nap, and clothes turn out great. Nice and crispy looking! It takes me seconds to make my coat crispy.
https://www.amazon.com/Evercare-Magik-Brush-2-Sided-Lint/dp/B01DQIGFL0/ref=sxin_25_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.f5cf5c18-6336-410f-be66-27cd3afbd394:amzn1.sym.f5cf5c18-6336-410f-be66-27cd3afbd394&crid=2ZIPJJ682DCH5&cv_ct_cx=evercare&keywords=evercare&pd_rd_i=B01DQIGFL0&pd_rd_r=8e9007fb-9ac0-4c55-8aef-f54cb124b868&pd_rd_w=hRdGi&pd_rd_wg=chmqn&pf_rd_p=f5cf5c18-6336-410f-be66-27cd3afbd394&pf_rd_r=2G9WXD0JYPEX2A7FXH4T&qid=1701230689&sbo=RZvfv//HxDF+O5021pAnSA==&sprefix=evercare,aps,84&sr=1-1-558119f6-df47-420e-b6f9-0765cb4a145a-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

On using a steamer, I have never tried one. I'm a dry clean gal. I know some people don't like the harsh chemicals on their clothes, but dry cleaning is so easy and zero effort for me. The big plus is I love that crispy look fresh from the cleaners, whether it be a coat or a cashmere sweater.

Maybe try the brush and see if you like it more than the lint roller. The link I posted above is a three-pack which is nice since I use all three. In case you might want to consider getting the three-pack, here is how I use all three as FYI...
I keep one in my coat closet (downstairs), one near my sweater shelves in my bedroom closet (upstairs), and one in my suitcase for travel. If you don't need three, you can also buy just a single brush to try it first.

Just my two cents. I am sure there are tons of other methods that work just as good. Hope this helps!
 
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On caring for coats, I used to be a maniac about wearing a crispy coat, but not anymore!

When I traveled during weekday (via airplane), I would stuff my coat in the overhead bin. Once I got home that week, I would drop it off to dry clean along with whatever suits I wore that week. I would pick them up the next day, and my coat would be nice and crispy for travel again next week. Mentally, I wanted a clean pressed coat, like my suits. I would do this every week, like clockwork. This is NOT the way to do it!

I talked at length to a manager at a boutique, and he said the best way to take care of the coat is to just to hang it up after you use it. Coats are not worn all day long as you would wear a sweater or a pair of jeans. Coats are also not in direct contact with your skin, nor do you sweat directly on a coat.

The manager said for general wear cleaning, clean the coat after the end of the season, and no more than once a month. The exception, of course, is if you walk ankle deep in snow one day, get soaked in the rain, etc.

For dusting off, he said no to lint rollers. Why?
Because a very thin layer of the sticky stuff that pulls off the lint stays on the coat and attracts more lint. He also said lint rollers pull "up" on the fibers, against the nap, which is not good for the fiber (e.g. you effectively are lightly picking away at your coat). The manager said he prefers a gentle brush, using a light touch, brushing in the same direction as the nap.

Well...
I tried a bunch of brushes, and they didn't work for me. While the gentle brush may have dusted off particles, I didn't think it made the coat look crispy. I don't need to baby my coats, so I am not afraid to be a bit rough with them. My priority is to quickly and easily remove all lint and hair strands (I think hair strands on a coat look so unkemp).

This is the best lint remover I have found. I love it! You brush in the same direction as the nap, and clothes turn out great. Nice and crispy looking! It takes me seconds to make my coat crispy.
https://www.amazon.com/Evercare-Magik-Brush-2-Sided-Lint/dp/B01DQIGFL0/ref=sxin_25_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.f5cf5c18-6336-410f-be66-27cd3afbd394:amzn1.sym.f5cf5c18-6336-410f-be66-27cd3afbd394&crid=2ZIPJJ682DCH5&cv_ct_cx=evercare&keywords=evercare&pd_rd_i=B01DQIGFL0&pd_rd_r=8e9007fb-9ac0-4c55-8aef-f54cb124b868&pd_rd_w=hRdGi&pd_rd_wg=chmqn&pf_rd_p=f5cf5c18-6336-410f-be66-27cd3afbd394&pf_rd_r=2G9WXD0JYPEX2A7FXH4T&qid=1701230689&sbo=RZvfv//HxDF+O5021pAnSA==&sprefix=evercare,aps,84&sr=1-1-558119f6-df47-420e-b6f9-0765cb4a145a-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

On using a steamer, I have never tried one. I'm a dry clean gal. I know some people don't like the harsh chemicals on their clothes, but dry cleaning is so easy and zero effort for me. The big plus is I love that crispy look fresh from the cleaners, whether it be a coat or a cashmere sweater.

Maybe try the brush and see if you like it more than the lint roller. The link I posted above is a three-pack which is nice since I use all three. In case you might want to consider getting the three-pack, here is how I use all three as FYI...
I keep one in my coat closet (downstairs), one near my sweater shelves in my bedroom closet (upstairs), and one in my suitcase for travel. If you don't need three, you can also buy just a single brush to try it first.

Just my two cents. I am sure there are tons of other methods that work just as good. Hope this helps!

Thanks for the link to the lint brush @BigAkoya. I've always used the sticky lint brushes that you tear off with each use but have never liked the fact that with that you're putting a sticker on clothing to clean it.
 
On the subject of dry cleaning, I have never dry cleaned my max mara coats - they just get steamed (after say a long flight or ) at the end of the season when I pack them away, in their original garment bags. They look like new which is a testament to the quality.
Dry cleaning is not only toxic but it tends to shorten the clothes’ lifespan.

When I travel I may hang my coat in a hotel room steamy bathroom to refresh overnight. At home I use the steam option.

Additionally, I also use a soft clothes brush (bear in mind we have cats and dogs!) and a lavender anti-moth spray.
 
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I have a steam closet at home that I use to refresh and clean all kinds of things, from bedding to coats to sweaters. When I travel I have a little portable steamer I use for the same purpose. I have never sent a max Mara coat to the cleaners, and I have I think 9 of them at the moment.
 
About steaming, does anybody steam their Teddy Coat or how do you clean it? Do you brush it?

I just start wearing it again, as we have heavy snowfall here which is beautiful, but superdupercold. The Teddy seriously is my warmest coat (and I have some…), which I still can‘t believe how warm it is despite being so light. I really did not regret buying it. It is 360€ more expensive than 2 years ago, when I got it and it was expensive to begin with… But nothing is nicer than being warm and plush in the winter cold…!
 
About steaming, does anybody steam their Teddy Coat or how do you clean it? Do you brush it?

I just start wearing it again, as we have heavy snowfall here which is beautiful, but superdupercold. The Teddy seriously is my warmest coat (and I have some…), which I still can‘t believe how warm it is despite being so light. I really did not regret buying it. It is 360€ more expensive than 2 years ago, when I got it and it was expensive to begin with… But nothing is nicer than being warm and plush in the winter cold…!
I steam my teddy, yes.

Brush off any loose snow before coming inside so it doesn’t melt and wet the fabric.

I brush off any dust or dirt with a soft brush, then pop it in the steam closet for a refresh and fluff with a brush when it comes out.

You can do the same thing with a regular steamer, preferably one with a little bit of pressure so that it fluffs the fibers with the steam.
 
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I just went ahead and steamed my Max Mara coats using this hand-held steamer: https://www.amazon.com/Conair-Extreme-Handheld-Steamer-Champagne/dp/B07V91437Y?th=1

It worked well! I personally felt that it helped some of the camel hair fibers recover that "ripple" that BigAkoya and I were describing...but I could be imagining it / it is just wishful thinking! At least, the coat was definitely not damaged at all. I think in the future I'll try to use the steamer on my coats a few times a season to give them a bit of a refresh and just keep avoiding the dry cleaners.
 
I love the madame coat but due to my height 5’3” it always feels to be too long. I know others in my height can pull it off, I just find length cumbersome. I have seen some others in shorter lengths but they were unlined and I want fully lined. So I am excited about this one online. Anyone own or have tried this style?
https://us.maxmara.com/p-1086023906001-rebus-camel
hi. I tried this one on today and I'm 5Ft. I kind of love it. did you end up buying this one?
 
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