Summer dressing is all about linen, swimwear and sandals. Autumn style mostly consists of corduroy trousers, knitwear and boots. In winter, the only part of any outfit that most people will see – ergo the only element that really matters – is the coat. And for the coldest days, only the warmest, most cosseting down coat will do.
Not so long ago, wearing a down coat would have represented a style compromise. But over the past several years, down coats have made a return to the fashion fore – all thanks to a widespread embrace of outdoor pursuits, advances in fashion tech and endorsements by luxury fashion brands.
The puffer coat has a utilitarian origin story. Sporting goods provisioner Eddie Bauer is said to have “created” it in the 1930s, after nearly freezing to death on a fishing trip. It took another four decades for the winter sports staple to reach the fashion world. In 1973, New York-based designer Norma Kamali was camping when she got the idea after dashing to the toilet in the cold with her sleeping bag wrapped around her. Her Sleeping Bag Coat was an instant hit with Studio 54 doormen, who appreciated its cocooning warmth; it’s one of the classic icons of the Norma Kamali brand today.
Kamali’s coats were the sleek exceptions to a garment that retained its outdoorsy associations. The puffer coat fell out of favour with fashion customers who found them unflattering and Michelin Man-like until the 1980s and 90s, when hip-hop pioneers lent the down jacket a new edge. As skiing became more glamorous, skiers started wearing their down jackets off the slopes.
Then, in 2016, Balenciaga “reinvented” the style when designer Demna brought sportswear-inflected parkas to the high fashion runway. Soon, exclusive luxury brands such as Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli started making puffer jackets. Even Gucci, an icon of slick Italian style, introduced a puffer.
The apogee of the luxury industry’s embrace of the puffer, however, would have to be the coat’s appearance in Pieter Mulier’s most recent Alaïa show. There, tubular puffs wound around the models’ bodies in a way that echoed the curves of New York’s Guggenheim Museum, where the show was staged in September 2024.
All of which amounts to a fashionscape where the puffer isn’t an outlier, but a staple. “A puffer coat is cross-generational and cross-continental. It has that sporty, American vibe, as well as a practical, ‘wear it on the mountains to keep warm’ appeal,” says Alexandra Fullerton, a stylist and former fashion director of Glamour magazine. “And obviously, it’s as egalitarian as a trainer. Luxury brands do puffer coats, and you can find excellent ones on the high street for a more affordable price. It’s a great social leveller.”
No wonder that almost as soon as the weather turns, sales of puffers go … puff. At LTK, the influencer-guided shopping platform, searches for “puffer coat” went up by 1504% over the past month. On Depop, the fashion resale app, searches for the garment have increased by 1011% since June.
Uniqlo consistently ranks as one of the high street’s favourite sources of cold weather gear, from Heattech to down coats. The design team has reworked and refined these basics to elevate the wearing experience – it’s all about the thoughtful details. The brand’s Seamless down collection, for instance, uses thermal bonding rather than stitching to produce quilted seams, making it harder for cold air to seep in. All Seamless down coats are also water-repellent, and don’t use any polluting PFAS “forever chemicals”. Then there’s the Puffertech range. With its compact, high-performance padding, it’s an open secret among stylists and editors who have been known to wear a Puffertech compact vest under less functional coats to keep warm.
“Puffers can definitely be stylish – if worn with the right thing,” says Des Lewis, a London-based stylist and creative consultant. “In fact, I prefer them if they’re worn with tailoring or knee-high boots, or anything a little chicer or smarter. It’s the contrast.”
“It’s nice to have a mix,” Fullerton agrees. “When I used to travel to Milan for fashion shows, I’d see all the chic people wearing puffer coats. Juxtaposing a puffer with a pair of tailored trousers, rather than tracksuit bottoms, gives it a fresh look.”
So does playing with proportions. Wearing a short jacket over a narrow, ankle-length dress creates an intriguing silhouette, especially if they’re all the same tone. Conversely, a long, enveloping coat can be just the thing to wear out to a party (think of the party dress reveal!).
Lewis advises seeking thoughtful design details such as an adjustable drawstring waist (as in the Hybrid down coat), or adding a belt over a puffer to define the body. Look for a built-in hood (for those days when you forget your hat) or side vents (to make full strides easier) – the pleasingly minimalist Seamless down long coat has both. Matte textures appear more premium than shiny – and never fear dramatic volumes. “Some people would advise anyone on the shorter side to steer clear of long puffers, but I think it’s quite striking. Especially with heels,” Lewis says.
However you wear it, you can be sure you’ll be warm – and positively fashionable.
Shop Uniqlo’s down coat collection at uniqlo.com
