I ordered this jacket after my fiance bought the men's version and loved it. Based on where my bust line was listed in the sizing chart, I bought a large, even though I'm only 5'4". By all rights I should be a medium, but sometimes jackets end up tight across my bust line, so I followed the chart, and it turned out to be too large. I've now ordered the medium, which fits better (I tried one on locally but bought at lower price on Backcountry.com).

As reported previously, this is not a slimming design. The horizontal baffles should be a clue! I too, look like a marshmallow, but warmth, not style, is the goal with this jacket. Nonetheless, my desire for a more flattering fit is why I gave the jacket 4 stars instead of 5.

Some reviewers have complained about the jacket being too short; this is a design meant for climbers, so it does not cover your butt by design. That said, if you are tall for your size, the Sub Zero may be too short for you. Another retailer's website lists the back length as 23.5".

I've read too many reviews of this jacket claiming it's too short in the torso.
My wife has this jacket and I have the mens equivalent. If you bought this jacket to walk the dogs on cold nights or wear around town to look sporty in the ski towns and villages... it's too short in the torso. It wasn't made with those activities in mind.
If you bought this jacket to pull out of your pack as you turn the lead over to your partner and put it on to stay warm and still be able to see and use your harness as you belay your partner, it is perfect! That is what it was made for.
one other review claimed "buy The North Face Nuptse, it fits better" yup, it was made just for looking sporty in the village and has no place at the belay station : )

this jacket is super super warm--an impenetrable force of cozy, comfy, wonderfulness. however, unless you like looking like a puffed up marshmallow with HUGE shoulders (seriously, the fit in the shoulder/upper arms region was way too roomy for me) , and also like getting your butt/other layers wet since the jacket comes up really short, you should probably look for another jacket.

Ok so I'm ALWAYS cold! I live in the Colorado Rockies. Last winter I bought two (very expensive) winter coats that failed to keep me warm. So this was my third attempt in less than a year. I'm totally satisfied. Its so warm and comforting. In my opinion this is the perfect down fill.
But you also need to know I dont do any extreme winter activities so I have NO idea if this would work for you on top of a 14er in January.
But over all I most definitely recommend it!

Wore my jacket today (in Chicago) with wind chill of 29F (winds upto 15mph), and I was very comfortable. I didn't feel either wind or cold, and underneath only wore a long sleeve t-shirt. Size-wise, medium was perfect (I'm 5'5 and 130lb). As others said the length is on the shorter side, and yes, it's just past the top of the butt, though for a jacket vs parka, it's perfect...especially, for bopping around town or the slopes when you don't want to be a walking sleeping bag :)

The other reviews who note that the jacket runs short in the torso are correct. At 5'8" the jacket sits too far above my hips. My sister has the same jacket and it looks great on her, she's 5'1". I didn't keep the jacket, but I think the quality is good, arm length fine, short...yes.

I love this jacket! I ordered it for my daughter, but when she tried it on it was just too short. We are trying the medium now, so hopefully that will work.. But she loves everything else.

I bought this jacket to go out on cold nights with the dogs, but I didn't like the length or the arms of this jacket.

Replaced it with the men's small. Fits great, Love it!

First, Backcountry is the best!!! Not shopping anywhere else!
Now, this jacket ROCKS!!! Fit is great. Looks are great. And it came in record time.
To good to be true

First, Backcountry is the best!!!
Now, Jacket feels great. Fit is good, Very comfortable.
Mountain hardwear and Backcountry rock!!!

I got this jacket as a gift from my ex boyfriend who bought me the wrong size (M) and the arms were so huge on me that I felt like a big fat marshmallo girl. He thought I was being picky (size being too big), but I just wanted a jacket that fit me properly and didn't make me look like a football player.

I did love the warmth, but the style/fit was just off for me. I ended up trying to sell it on Ebay so that I coudl buy another (proper fitting parka) from MH.

It's great if you don't mind the big puffy (HUGE) arm look.

It's a nice jacket, really, very warm, soft, lightweight, easy to move in, but make no mistake-- you WILL look like a giant marshmallow.

I tried this jacket b/c I was taken in by the description of "flattering feminine fit". Sure, I need it for winter climbing, not for nights around town, but a girl likes to look nice... Umm, NO. I am 5 ft 100 lb, so I ordered XS. The sleeve length was perfect, the overall length was too short. And width was just humongous. Even when I had a base layer, a fleece, and then a softshell underneath the jacket, it still felt like I could stuff two big teddy bears (or my 5yo daughter) in there with me.

In the end I decided to go with the MH SubZero SL parka, instead of this jacket. If I am going to look like a walking puffball anyway, I'd rather have a longer length and a hood with that...

The fit was very unflattering and the length was extremely short. When i lifted my arms the jacket would nearly rise to my lower ribs. The arms were also very short. Normally I love mountain hardwear, but I am going to return this coat and try another brand.

I've always found that MH's stuff has weird fit and dimensions. It's like someone who knows nothing about women designed their jackets and pants. I stay far away from their stuff.

I bought this jacket thinking it would be egg plant purple and dark dark gray. When I got it it was actually more maroon and light gray. When I tried it on my sister started laughing hysterically and said I should wear it around to see what people said. It was absolutely horrible. It was too short and too puffy. I was so excited, and then I was so so dissapointed. It just looked terrible : (
I am 5'4", 140 lbs, and I was swimming in the medium.

I bought this for my wife and the fit was really strange (See below...) We found a North Face Nuptse 700 in a medium and it fit her perfectly. The Nuptse jacket fit perfect in a medium, while the MH small was super weird. If the Sub Zero's arms are too long, too bunchy, and the torso is too short; take a trip off the TNF hate bus and buy the Nuptse. I know it's difficult, but it's a better cut jacket.

I love my men's subzero and I was really excited to get one for my wife. She is 5'4" and I bought her a small. I expected the torso to be short, but it barely came to her belt line. The arms and torso had a really strange cut. The sleeves are very large where they meet the torso, making it look like she had Senor Stay Puff in a head lock. We checked my jacket, and the arms have a much more athletic cut, as does the body. The sleeves were just shy of being too long, so there's no way to size up to a medium. Great jacket, if you're cut out for it.

I bought the coat that I thought was egg plant purple and dark gray, but when it arrived it turned out to be light maroon and light grey. Besides the picture not acureately portraying the color, the fit was horrible. My sister laughed hysterically when I tried it on. She said I should wear it around to see what people said. The fit is extremely unflattering: too short, too puffy, too crazy.
I am 5'4", 140 lbs and the medium was way way to big for me. I returned the coat because it looked so horrible.