Can't be too rich or too thin...

Wallis Simpson could say that, being both....

LuLu, I think you're making an excellent modification by eliminating a vertical row--one you'll not regret. Besides, you've just reduced the number of months to knit your coat by about 20%!

I've been thinking about your pockets. A lot of the models in Glorious Color have their hands in their pockets, maybe to hold in the sides of those great wide coats. When you pose for the camera in your museum-piece coat and your super-glam 4-inch-heel boots, will you wish you, too, had pockets? Will you need them for the hankies your mother insisted you carry, one for blow, one for show? Other than for glamorous poses, I'll bet you could skip the pockets and no one would know or care. And there goes another 10% of the time your project will take
.
I'd sure think about knitting in the round and steeking. Wool is perfect for that.