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The Puffer Jacket: To Buy or Not to Buy

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All you need to know to nail the puffer coat:

 

The increasingly ubiquitous longline puffer jacket seems to be on every influencer’s wishlist this winter. And you can see why. When the impetus for getting dressed in the morning is decreasing on a daily basis, any coat that can cover the coffee I spilt on my pyjama top yesterday, the fact that my leggings have a hole in them and leave me feeling like my bed isn’t actually that far away, is bound to jump to the top of my must-have list.

 

That being said, the puffer is not flattering. There – I’ve said it. It adds acres of bulk and a full length one can be even trickier to master. But with lockdown and cold weather not going anywhere for (optimistically) at least another month, perhaps that’s something we just have to get used to in order to retain some level of comfort and faith in January.

 

So, if you’re opting for a puffer, here are some of my tips:

 

1)    Puffer coats are in abundance on the High Street. Mango has several longer coats still available. For full fashion factor, I love their off white padded anorak, which has a tie belt and lapel collar, but white isn’t practical when coffee and mud are unavoidable on our daily constitutionals. Their oversize quilted coat is still available in most sizes in black and in brown, and the vertical chevron quilting is more flattering than a horizontal stripe.

 

2)    Long line is great if you’re tall (no surprises there), but if you’re short, you need to be careful that the padding isn’t too big. If it’s disproportionately puffy, odds on, you’ll end up resembling a snowman. This puffer from Marks & Spencer is fantastic. The quilting isn’t too voluminous, and it nips in ever-so-gently at the waist, so it won’t swamp you. As an aside, when choosing a longer or ¾ length coat, you’re after an A-line or straight shape on the skirt. One that starts to come in again at the hem, will only serve to accentuate your bottom – which when shrouded in quilting is not a good look. The colour may be marmite for some of you but this shade of mustard (assuming you can pull it off) looks great with blue denim, khaki, and black so is a great way to boost an otherwise dull winter wardrobe.

 

3)    Adding a belt will instantly lift a coat like this out of ‘hibernation’ territory into something more stylish and considered. I love this style from Rains (and urge you to ignore the model’s posture!). Rains, for the uninitiated, is the fashion editor’s go-to brand for utilitarian rainwear. Not only is this coat belted, and therefore instantly more feminine, it’s also waterproof and breathable. Not quite as duvet-esque as some other styles on offer, but it’s one that won’t date in quite the same way that the extremely puffy styles will. I would wear it with the zip slightly undone and open (it’s all about that V-neck) and a scarf.

 

4)    Arket’s offering of 100% recycled down and feather jackets have been a huge success this season and many of their styles are sold out but their shorter style is still available in all sizes in both black and brown. This is unapologetically 90s and is very full through the body, so is a great style on straighter, more athletic figures. Make sure you wear it with a straight or slightly wide leg trouser or jean, though (or even a silky skirt!) - skinny jeans will throw the proportions out.

 

5)    If you can afford them, Moncler consistently nail the puffer jacket. Their short puffers are so short that they make the most of a waist and elongate the legs (for the same reason, also worth keeping an eye out for is The North Face’s consistently sold out cropped Nuptse jacket), but if you’re after that longline look, their Goelo juggles style and practicality. The quilting is full but it’s neatly belted. Bear in mind, though, that a belt that sits high on the waist in a puffer jacket won’t work if you’re full in the bust.

 

Stay warm.

 

Prue x

Mango, £104.99, mango.com

Mango, £104.99, mango.com

Marks & Spencer, £69, marksandspencer.com

Marks & Spencer, £69, marksandspencer.com

Rains, £205, rains.com

Rains, £205, rains.com

Arket, £175, arket.com

Arket, £175, arket.com

Moncler, £1580, matchesfashion.com

Moncler, £1580, matchesfashion.com

NOTES ON A WARDROBE: Welcome to 2021

Some of you I have already met, some I am yet to meet, some are wondering if it’s worth meeting me, and others are dipping in for a slightly voyeuristic ride: to all of you, though, a big welcome to my long promised, inaugural monthly newsletter. At the start of a brand spanking new year (one for which we all have exceedingly high hopes, albeit tempered with measured realism) I wanted to introduce you to my little world and start as I mean to go on.

 

I don’t think any of us (Bill Gates aside) foresaw what was to happen in 2020. Long laid plans were thrown asunder; weddings, parties, holidays, promotions, house moves – all fell by the wayside. And instead, we found ourselves spending disproportionate lengths of time at home, under the same roof, with the same people for stretches of time that we simply could not have anticipated. The tenets by which we lived our lives were voided. I am, therefore, looking at 2021 as an opportunity to re-consider the principles that I want to reinstate in these now ‘precedented’ times; what’s coming with me (both theoretically and sartorially) and what I’m leaving behind in 2020.

 

Although New Years’ resolutions have never held great sway with me, I am approaching 2021 with a greater focus on habits – both making them and changing them. As the philosopher William James wrote “all our life … is but a mass of habits … systematically organised for our weal or woe”. I’ve long given up on trying to start the day with a glug of hot water and lemon, but writing to you lovely lot with my sartorial titbits and stylish anecdotes will become a greater focus for me this year. If you’re wondering what jeans to be buying in 2021, how to stay current without becoming a cliché, or simply updating your wardrobe without breaking the bank, I’m hoping my weekly blog will be here to guide you.

 

And before you get concerned and hit that unsubscribe button, fear not – I’ll only drop you a note in your inbox (assuming you’ve opted in) once a month. For my weekly hit, you’ll need to swing by here.

 

Whilst it’s unfair to put too much pressure on 2021, (after all, when was the last time something for which you had the highest expectations actually lived up to them?), I do hope that this year brings you all joy. Surely the only way from here, is up.

Prue x

 

What I’m lusting after this week:

(Click on images below to take you straight to the webpage)

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Mango Trousers

These trousers from Mango (£49.99) are fantastic – so long as you know how to wear them. Pleat front trousers can be tricky: if they pull at all, they will only serve to make you look bigger than you actually are. I always advocate trying a larger size than you would normally go for. These have a built in belt, so are a great leg-lengthening style when worn high on the waist.  

Whistles leather dress

Whistles leather dress

£449 for a dress is higher than my usual price point, but this dress is a great investment. Shirt dresses are wonderful on many body shapes (they become tricky when you’re rounder through the middle). Layer this over a fine-gauge knit and wear it with boots through winter, or wear it open at the neck and with bare legs through spring and autumn to give it the mileage it warrants. Pull the sleeves up a little to make the most of the waist on it too.

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Facial

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Facial

 I have especially tricky combination skin which means I suffer with both acne and eczema. The treatment for one is traditionally to dry the skin out, and the other to lather on thick moisture, so my skincare routine is a constant balancing act. With the cold weather and central heating on right now my skin is particularly dry. A few drops of Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis Overnight Facial a couple of times a week leaves my skin looking more radiant and significantly less thirsty without causing an outbreak. It’s not cheap (£54 for 15ml at cultbeauty.co.uk) but a little goes a long way, and - crucially - it really does work.