The snow is almost gone, which means it is time to push the giant winter coats to the back of the closet and try these on. One of these jackets is Free People and one is Wild Fable (Target). Can you guess which is which? One is a mere 18% of the price of the other. Both are extremely popular. They have been selling out quickly every single restock. Which one are you drawn to initially? It might not be the same one you pick once we are done here, at least it wasn't for me.
Wild Fable Women's Button Front Quilted Jacket in Beige $35 (left)
Free People Dolman Quilted Knit Jacket in Champagne Diamond $198 (right)
I had my eye on the Free People jacket last year, but it was always sold out and fall came and went way too fast. When I saw they restocked, I had to try it for this spring! Then I spotted the Wild Fable jacket at Target and thought I should do a side-by-side comparison – for myself, and to hopefully help someone else decide too.
Free People
Wild Fable
Fit:
The Free People is a more relaxed fit. The back hem is gathered…and has a pronounced “hey I’m elastic” look to it, but its only about ¾ in. and only on the back side. This allows for there to be a little more fabric in the back of the jacket and absolutely no pull in the shoulder area. This is a giant win for me.
The Wild Fable is not a fitted jacket by any means, but I would say it is more structured than the FP version. Overall it’s a bit shorter and has the gathered seam around the entire bottom edge, instead of just the back.
Free People
Wild Fable
Color:
The Free People comes in so many good colors. It was tough to choose. There is a really pretty light blue and a gorgeous pink/purple but I ended up with the neutral, “Champagne Diamond”. It's darker than the Wild Fable and overall warmer in tone.
The Wild Fable is the cool tone “beige” that I love so much. It comes in just one other color, a pretty sky “blue”, but we’re trying to compare apples to apples here. This color was my straight out of the gate winner. It is something my brain feels very strongly about. My eyes like cool colors.
Other important notes:
The Free People has a front zipper closure and the Wild Fable has a front button closure. Zipper vs. buttons. This might make all the difference for you.
The Free People fabric is more dense, while the Wild Fable fabric has a little more “floof” to it.
The Free People is quilted in a square pattern while the Wild Fable is quilted in a diamond pattern.
The sleeves on the Free People are open at the wrist and can be rolled back to your desired length. The sleeves on the Wild Fable are gathered at the wrist, but can also be pushed back if you wish.
If you are a pockets person, I have to tell you…the pockets on the Wild Fable are awkward. They are placed facing up, but not low enough on the front to where it would be comfortable to reach into them – (unless maybe you have shorter arms? I am 5’9 for reference). The pockets on the Free People are slanted and generally allow easier access.
The verdict:
The Free People jacket was my winner. I didn’t expect it to be, based on color and price, but the awkward pockets were a deal breaker for me. This one is super comfortable, almost like wearing a light blanket.
The Wild Fable is a great option. It’s a cozy jacket and an absolute steal at $35. You may love the slightly shorter length, or the buttons instead of a zipper. It all comes down to what matters most to you.
I hope this has been helpful! I'd love to know if you've tried one (or both) of these jackets too.