The Duchess of Edinburgh has plenty of sleek, tailored coats in her collection but when the temperatures really plummet there’s a much more casual style she reaches for instead. She recently travelled to Méribel in France and met athletes across all three services and disciplines in her role as patron of the UK Armed Forces Winter Sports Association charity.
This called for her cosiest coat and Duchess Sophie wore a black hooded puffer as she gave an inspiring speech to over 300 attendees. We might be excited to get back wearing trench coats and jackets again, but the February weather has other ideas and a puffer is such a useful piece to have in your winter capsule wardrobe.
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Also available in maroon, this new-in puffer jacket is affordable and easy to style. It has drawstrings at the waist so you can adjust the fit and make it more cinched-in, as well as a hood, high collar and quilting running all over it.
The lululemon Wunder Puff down-filled jacket comes in so many different colours and has a cinchable waist and hem so you can customise the shape. The hood is removeable and there are zipped pockets with a hidden phone sleeve. It's windproof and water-repellent too.
This on-sale coat is selling fast and it's a beautiful longer puffer to keep you cosy until the warmer weather returns. It's shower-resistant, has fleece-lined pockets and is shower resistant too. There's also an internal drawstring for extra shaping.
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Our woman&home Homes Ecommerce Writer Laura Honey owns these electric, re-chargeable hand-warmers and highly recommends them. They're slim, lightweight and have up to 8 hours life from one charge. On truly freezing winter days, these are a brilliant item to have.
With its soft ribbed texture, this beanie hat is a snuggly addition to any winter wardrobe and it comes in both this chocolate brown shade and in cream. You can coordinate the colour of your bag and shoes to the hat for a cohesive feel.
Suede gloves feel so luxurious and yet this pair is still very affordable and you can get them in plenty of neutral hues. They feature darts to the back of the hand and a notched gauntlet. They're a step up style-wise from classic knitted gloves.
They’re designed for maximum warmth and comfort, yet can still look incredibly stylish. The Duchess’s jacket had a luxurious faux fur trim on the hood that transformed it from a traditional, more functional item, into something with some flair.
Going for a plain black jacket like hers is a clever choice as something this neutral is simple to style and goes with any other colour. Darker shades like black, brown or grey also hide any marks better which is a bonus.
With longer puffers that can sometimes be a bit bulky, you can add more definition to the silhouette with the addition of a belt. Alternatively, shorter styles like Duchess Sophie’s finish around or just below the waist and this can be very leg-elongating. Like when you’re weighing up how to style a trench, different lengths can often complement different outfits.
I would advise pairing a short puffer with shorter skirts/dresses, whilst long-line coats look great with midi-length pieces, though trousers and jeans work effortlessly with either. The Duchess of Edinburgh wore black trousers, a black and white patterned jumper and a purple UKAFWSA bobble hat for this event in Méribel celebrating 75 years of the charity.
This largely monochrome outfit was understated and warm, yet still elegant. As well as delivering a speech, Duchess Sophie presented salvers to the Head of ESF in Méribel, Marc Bourreau, the President of Méribel Tourism, Florence Surelle, and the Head of Ski Racing, Yannick Favieres.
These were in recognition of 20 years of the Inter Services Snowsport Championships and the royal took to the slopes herself a few days later.
Dressed in ski gear, she joined the athletes of the Armed Forces Para Snowsport Team during the UKAFWSA competition and they all looked like they had a great time. The snowy conditions in Méribel meant that the King’s sister-in-law needed a coat that was more heavy duty and so this was a rare opportunity to see her in something as relaxed as a puffer.
Although you can wear them over more formal ensembles if you want to, they are an ideal everyday, casual coat. We don’t get too many glimpses of the royals in low-key attire as even their jeans are elevated with blazers to make smart-casual outfits.
I can imagine Duchess Sophie reaching for this puffer when she’s out and about near her Bagshot Park home, whilst saving her tailored coats for royal engagements.
