Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video, we'll be taking a look
at the puffer jacket to work out whether it's a timeless garment or just a trend.
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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. 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 street wear, 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. Are puffer jackets entering the classic menswear space or is this
just a "flash in the pan" moment. First, let's take a closer look by defining. 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 comes from the fact that they are
filled with down feathers or because they look puffy when they're filled.
[scene from "Ghostbusters" (1984)] Ray: "It's the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man."
[Preston's face superimposed on the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man]
Okay, perhaps not that puffy. 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 closer resembles an actual bed spread 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. 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. 14 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. Yikes! The most adventurous
fishing that I do is at the grocery store for Fish Decks. 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, something that Drake didn't
appreciate in 2015. Am I right, Drake? 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. Now, with this in mind,
you may be wondering, "could I wear a puffer jacket if I love classic style?" Okay, 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. Putting it as delicately as
possible, puffer jackets really aren't any of those things. 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 this video, the reality is you'll have to still 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 - unsurprisingly, perhaps - casual clothing, but probably still more formal
than a Spider-Man suit. No hard feelings, Andrew. We still liked you in "No Way Home."
[scene from "Spider-man: No Way Home"] Peter-Two: "You are amazing."
Peter-Two: "You are amazing." Peter-Three: "Thank you."
Peter-Two: "Will you say it?"
Peter-Three: "No, I kinda needed to hear that. Thank you."
Think of things like a well-cut pair of denim jeans or two items of clothing born out of
practical need 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. Now, we aren't going to leave you out in the cold.
[crowd booing] [Preston weeping in disappointment]
So, here are a few of our favorite alternatives to a puffer jacket. We feel they fit better within a
classic wardrobe. 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 of one of the iconic
parka jacket styles out there: the Canada Goose jacket. And you can check out that review here.
So, 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. Now,
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 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. 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 Barber 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: the 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. Coming back to the main question for today: are puffer jackets "timeless" or "trend"?
Realistically, it's all about context. See, 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. And there really just isn't an elegant way of fighting off a snowstorm,
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
our 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, 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. And 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. I'm curious, based off what we've explored today, where do you
stand on the topic of puffer jackets? Do you agree with our assessment, that they're a trend? Are you
on the side of "timeless"? Let us know where you think puffer jackets should be placed and why in
the comments below. 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 here for socks like these.
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