A down-filled cross between alpine chic and ghetto fabulous, stylish puffer coats are a comfy way to keep the cold at bay.
Although down coats have long been a Chicago staple, fashion plates have steered clear of this most shapeless form of outerwear, for fear of resembling Gwyneth Paltrow’s thin-to-fat character in “Shallow Hal.”
Happily, fashion designers took note of down’s dowdy situation and performed a miraculous makeover. With a little nip and a lot of tuck, the once-ridiculed jacket has emerged sleek and cropped to become the belle of the sub-zero ball.
With fall’s emphasis on athletic details, Chicagoans are snapping up sporty puffers to pair with skinny jeans, or a skirt with great boots. The best news? A puffer coat’s style is second to the jacket’s incomparable warmth.
– Club Monaco, Devon puffer (below), $199
– North Face, Nuptse puffer, $199
– Prada, short puffer, $1,395
– Gap, Warmest Down Jacket (right), $98
