Are Down Puffer Jackets for Men Timeless, or Just a Trend?

Recent years within the world of menswear have seen the uprising and the use of puffer jackets and coats or, as they’re also known, down jackets. They are worn beyond streetwear, and now tailored clothing, so are puffer jackets entering the classic menswear space, or is this just a “flash in the pan” moment?

While wearing a coat when it’s cold outside certainly isn’t a new idea, we’ve certainly seen an increase in people wearing puffer jackets whenever they feel like it. Not only are they seen as an extension of streetwear, but we’re also starting to see an adoption of puffer jackets being used over tailored garments and even other elements of classic menswear. And this piques our interest as this type of garment has traditionally been seen as a casual garment.

What is a Puffer Jacket?

Let’s start by defining the garment in question. In simple terms, a down or puffer jacket consists of a simple coat constructed from waterproof fabric and filled with either goose or duck feathers. The variations of the names come from the fact that they are filled with down feathers or because they look puffy when they’re filled.

That being said, I can certainly understand the similarity between the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man or the Michelin Man, as the puffy look is achieved through lines of horizontal stitching throughout the body and sleeves of the coat.

These lines of stitching are actually there for a reason beyond simply the jacket style. Much like how a down-filled duvet has separate stitched pockets for the feathers to reside, the same is true for puffer jackets, with the stitching helping to control an even distribution of filler so as not to have it fall to the lowest points of the jacket.

Where the puffer jacket differs from the duvet design is the lack of diagonal stitching. This is, however, present in another jacket type that we’ve previously covered: the quilted jacket. This jacket features two sets of diagonal stitching, which forms squares or diamonds once complete and which more closely resembles an actual bedspread than the stitching of that on a puffer jacket.

The result is a slimmer and tidier jacket that doesn’t have the chunky profile of a puffer jacket, and you’re also likely to see quilted jackets finished in different fabrics, unlike the puffer jacket, which is typically only seen in some form of a waterproof fabric.

Both the quilting and the waterproof fabric are intrinsic to the sartorial makeup of the puffer jacket as it is, first and foremost, designed to be a practical garment.

History of Puffer Jackets

The creation of the puffer jacket is widely credited to George Finch, an Australian chemist and mountain climber who, in 1922, constructed a coat out of balloon cloth and eiderdown feathers. Fourteen years later, in 1936, another version of the puffer jacket was created by Eddie Bauer, an adventurer who almost died from hypothermia during a particularly hazardous fishing trip.

The following year, a similar jacket of a down-filled design was created by haute couture designer Charles James. His particular design, which he labeled the “Pneumatic Jacket,” proved to be intricate and quite difficult to replicate for manufacturers.

So, it was in 1939 when Eddie Bauer’s Skyliner jacket hit stores and became the first patented puffer jacket. Puffer jackets continued to enjoy popularity throughout the following decades and became a reimagined garment in the 1970s.

Designer Norma Kamali created the “Sleeping Bag Jacket,” specifically marketing it toward a female audience. This iteration of the jacket has become a firm favorite in her collections, with multiple different updates to the design happening throughout the years, becoming a desirable jacket for women and men in the process.

This iteration of the puffer jacket was made possible by the inclusion of a synthetic alternative to down feathers; a necessary step here as this would make the jacket both lighter than with the inclusion of down feathers and also cheaper to produce.

The 1980s saw a particular interest for neon puffer jackets in Italy. Meanwhile, in the States, a certain Marty McFly was popularizing the puffer vest in his multi-layered, iconic costume from “Back to the Future.”

During the 1990s, a younger generation of puffer coat-wearers found a practical use for that jacket to keep warm at chilly, night-time raves. And puffer jackets would continue to be linked to the music industry into the following decade in the United States, where hip-hop artists would take to a cropped puffer jacket as a style staple in the new millennium.

Indeed, the puffer jacket has seen a great variation of uses – from a practical piece of exploration equipment to a high-fashion garment that represents being a part of a particular group or subculture.

Where the puffer jacket stands today seems to be in two very particular categories. You either have the descendant of the high-fashion puffer jacket – emphasized by the full-on athleisure-infused streetwear look – or you have a contemporary take on classic tailored menswear with a puffer jacket added on top.

With this in mind, one may wonder whether they should have a spot in a classic wardrobe.

Can I Wear a Puffer Jacket if I love Classic Style?

This is where things seem to get a little bit tricky. After all, the type of classic style that we all enjoy tends to do with looking sophisticated, elegant, and refined. It’s rare to see anything chunky or relatively practical within the realms of classic style. Instead, clothing and accessories that have a particular function are designed to be beautiful, almost hiding their intended function.

An immediate comparison might be a pair of gloves. Sure, you can wear a pair of cashmere wool gloves to keep your hands warm, but they end up looking chunky, perhaps a bit juvenile. Instead, classic style supports the wearing of leather gloves that are lined with cashmere wool. The leather covers the hands in a way that doesn’t distract but enhances the overall look, while the cashmere keeps your hands warm, and the result is a more formal, higher-end look.

Thinking about puffer jackets then, you could easily consider that a true winter coat made from a sturdy, heavyweight cloth might keep you just as warm as a puffer jacket might, all the while working more harmoniously with your classic wardrobe elements.

The problem here is that many readily-available, modern-day overcoats are simply not heavy enough or robust enough to keep you sufficiently warm in chilly weather. So, unless you’re able to afford what’s likely to be an expensive, bespoke overcoat, you’ll have to look for a vintage model. And although Raphael and Preston are on hand to walk you through some expert tips in our vintage shopping guide, the reality is you’ll still have to invest an element of time, energy, and money into finding a vintage overcoat that works for you.

So, the puffer jacket is a readily-available, attractive choice for many of us today, especially considering there are climates where it can reach well below freezing during the winter time. But, there’s still the challenge of making it work with a wardrobe full of classic pieces.

First, let’s determine what a puffer jacket will likely go well with. You’ll already have had a heads-up if you’ve seen our take on the iconic Moncler jacket.

The answer here is, perhaps unsurprisingly, casual clothing. Think of things like a well-cut pair of denim jeans or two items of clothing born out of a practical need that complement each other well. There are also sweaters and other knitwear items that you can consider wearing with a puffer jacket.

A particularly elegant choice would be a turtleneck, therefore allowing you to forgo a scarf in the pursuit of increased ease of wear. Should denim be too casual for your tastes, consider another classic winter wardrobe staple: corduroy trousers. A pair of these sturdy pants will see you through the colder months very well and the subtle rubbing will complement the lines on a puffer jacket.

But what in your wardrobe was likely to look strange or out of place with your down jacket? For us, the immediate answer should be tailoring, and by that, we mean any item of tailored clothing that is designed to be worn in a formal style.

That means no suits, odd jackets, or formal pants that have a sharp crease to the front, and, as an option to this rule, you should also consider formal fabrics to be a no-go, too. Worsted, suiting wool, fine flannel, and even some of the sharper, dressier tweeds should be left in the closet as opposed to being paired with a puffer jacket.

There are several reasons behind this. Puffer jackets don’t possess elegant lines to create a harmonious style language between formal clothing and suiting. The noisy, technical fabrics of a puffer jacket betrays the elegance of the look you’re trying to achieve. And as unfortunate as it is, utility is not designed to look good, whereas looking good is the entire purpose of your suit. 

Puffer Jacket Alternatives

So, let’s talk about our favorite alternatives to a puffer jacket we feel fit better within a classic wardrobe.

Parka

The immediate alternative to a puffer jacket would be the parka. Just like the Moncler jacket, beforehand, Raphael has given his in-depth thoughts about one of the iconic parka jacket styles out there, which is the Canada Goose jacket.

The reason we’ve gone with the classic parka over a puffer jacket is mainly because the styling is much more in line with what we love about classic style. The traditional khaki green of a parka is much easier to pair with traditional menswear colors. Think of neutrals, grays, browns, and navy blues. This is helped by the fact that parkas are usually constructed from a cloth that possesses a matte finish, instead of that shiny look that usually comes with a puffer jacket.

If you ask us, there’s nothing wrong with a little shine in your ensemble, but the key is moderation. Having a few elements of sparkle throughout your outfit, like a belt, shoes, and watch, is much more harmonious than one big block of shiny fabric on your top half. That’s where the muted, matte finish of a parka trumps the noisy shine of a puffer.

Waterproof Waxed Coats

If it’s the functionality of a puffer jacket that you’re looking for, then we’d suggest waterproofed, waxed coats as an alternative. Offerings from heritage brands such as Belstaff and Barbour have been iconic options for decades, and it’s because they work at keeping the elements out, all while being a lot more stylish than a chunky down jacket.

You can also find our thoughts on this type of jacket, whether it’s something like the Bedale model from Barbour or Belstaff’s leather and cotton options of the Trialmaster jacket.

But, safe to say, either of these options are going to look far better when paired with classic clothing than a puffer jacket would. The only downside you might experience with this style is a reduction in warmth as they don’t possess the layers of down feathers throughout the jacket’s construction.

So, our advice here would either be to layer up and use this jacket as a waterproofing external layer or look to our third suggestion for puffer jacket alternatives.

Duffel Coat

Being manufactured from a hearty wool outer, a true duffle coat should have weight and presence to it when worn. It mirrors the sort of elegant lines you might expect to see in either classic coat options but retains a relaxed elegance in its detailing.

If you’re a fan of the horizontal stitching in a puffer jacket, you might be pleasantly surprised by how closely the toggle closure of this jacket resembles this design feature. But you certainly won’t be surprised by how easily a duffle coat slots into your collection of classic clothes. 

Essentially, if you’re looking to wear your suit with a casual coat, a duffle coat is the one to choose. Just don’t make the same mistake as Raphael and choose “radiation green” as the color.

Timeless or Trend?

Realistically, it’s all about context. Puffer jackets come with a long and varied history, and although they’ve gone through many different trends throughout the years, they remain a practical garment.

As much as we love a well-made, classic overcoat, there are simply some situations where a good puffer jacket is the right choice. After all, they’re created with extreme weather in mind, whereas an elegant top coat is created with elegance in mind. So, a simple puffer jacket of good construction could very well be seen as a timeless piece.

That being said, what is even more prevalent within the world of puffer jackets is their ability to be used as a means of looking trendy. Not only do they largely remain as a casual item that you’re more likely to see with sportier streetwear, but they are also used by modern menswear influencers as a means of breaking the mold of what is and is not acceptable to be worn with formal clothing.

For us, a puffer jacket suit is like oil and water. Therefore, based on the numbers, we’re going to have to rule that puffer jackets are a trend if you’re a lover of classic style.

Do you agree with our assessment that puffer jackets are a trend? Are you on the side of timeless? Let us know where you think they should be placed and why in the comments section!

Outfit Rundown

Today, I’m wearing a blue and white striped button-down shirt, a black puffer jacket with dark denim, and brown boots. I have on Fort Belvedere socks that are mustard yellow with a burgundy shadow stripe. Check out the Fort Belvedere shop for socks like these.