Smart jacket for petite but curvy girl?

[ErrolTheDragon]

DD wants a smart(ish) jacket to take to university. Just a fairly classic black or navy jacket, to wear over trousers, how hard should that be?

We've had a couple of trawls around town but couldn't find any that fit properly or aren't in some way weird (rucked up sleeves, WTF?)

She's 5'1" , size 10 bottom half but 36d top. She doesn't like them too short, or in any way sticking out at the bottom - that eliminates a lot at the moment, I suppose they might look ok over skirts but they're not right over trousers. Threequarter length sleeves a total no-no. And she likes to be able to button it up. But doing that, without exception they gape at the top - they all seem to be single button at the moment and that just doesn't hold the top together over norkage, its too low down.

I reckon the solution might be a 2 button jacket (or even 3, I'm not dissimilar dimensions though a bit broader of beam at the moment and have an ancient Wallis one which does the job for me). Does such a thing exist at the moment? We could go to the Trafford Centre or Central Manchester, but I don't really want to unless there's some hope! I'm not too bothered about price (within reason) if it was something she could use for years.

My advice here would be to go to Ted Baker or Reiss and get a dress or skirt suit - cropped jacket cut close to the curves in a decent heavy material. Longer jackets look weird on shorter and curvier people, so combined together wouldn't work.

And don't worry about it not buttoning. As a recruiter the candidates that stand out as looking smart are the ones whose jackets fit their shoulders and arms properly. We expect them to be unbuttoned!

Its not for interviews, she definitely doesn't want a dress or skirt suit type of thing. Its to wear with trousers cropped jackets don't work for that - she wants something more like a mans jacket blazer-ish, I think. (Her lower half isn't particularly curvy, maybe that was the wrong description.)

The buttoning isn't for smartness, its for practicality! but unbuttoned, they don't seem to hang well anyway.

The shoulders and arm fitting is of course the other thing which eliminates a few... she's a windsurfer so quite square shouldered. That doubtless contributes to the gaping issue. If she found something which otherwise fit but with overlong arms and the cuff style allowed I guess it they could be altered.

Hmph, I think maybe we need women's tailors!

Firstly, with size 10 bottoms I bet she isn't a 36D, she'll have a smaller back size so be something like a 30FF or 32F which would make her an in-proportion hourglass. And a properly fitting bra will make her boobs look better and she'll find it easier to get clothes that for. Go to a decent department store or Bravissimo to get her into a proper bra and her books will stop feeling like a problem.

I'd have thought she'd want something from a petite range if she wants something fitted but if she wants a looser longer line jacket then that might be less important.

She could be more like a 34-something but no less - I'm 32E (after proper fitting) and her back is wider than mine, her shoulders higher and squarer. While for many girls your bet would be spot on and excellent advice, I don't think that's it - and she looks great in other clothes. (Also IME small band, large cup puts more front and centre...)

I believe she's tried on every petite jacket in a 10 and a 12 on a large high street (inc debenhams). Petite ranges are great for trousers, anything else is hit and miss. I found a jacket I quite liked in next 2 years ago, which I gave her when she needed one then, but its size 12, okish over a dress but too big on the hip for her with trousers.

I think she wants something like this in terms of where the buttons are and enough coverage at the top... It looks like it would do the sticky out at the hip thing. Or this type of cut... not in a weird print though.

I really do appreciate people trying to help!