Sweatpants, according to Karl Lagerfeld, are “a sign of defeat” and indicate that the wearer has “lost control” of their life. (Note that this was before the pandemic and that the French designer was not a particularly nice person.) But the day I finally bought a puffer was my own fashion Waterloo.
Warm without a doubt, puffer coats are a winter wardrobe essential. Nevertheless, a certain fashion-conscious crowd laments their boring color schemes and clumsy, bulbous, all-consuming silhouettes.
There are high-quality puffers available. I refused to give in to the black puffer coat, the bane of commuters on public transportation from November through March. Rather, in a last-ditch effort at defiance, I made sure mine was vibrant, selecting one with a neon lightning print and a red-to-purple gradient base.
However, a lot of people have given up trying to find a puffer that has personality and have settled for a heavy black Columbia or Eddie Bauer number that swishes with every step, seemingly making fun of them for being so uninteresting.
Will we ever be freed from the puffer cult?
The reason puffers are so common
The padded, quilted coat has a long history, which demonstrates its durability.
The first one was made in the 1930s by Eddie Bauer, who naturally wanted to develop a better layering option after almost dying from exposure while fishing in just a wool sweater. Forty years later, Norma Kamali introduced her renowned sleeping bag coat, solidifying the trend. Vox claims that Elton John, Cher, and the Studio 54 bouncers were among the first to arrive.
The warm, cocooned shape won over people. I can attest to its womb-like quality having worn one in a store (which I quickly took off after noticing a $1,200 price tag).
Sales of sleeping bag coats reportedly skyrocketed after 9/11, when traumatized New Yorkers needed a way to feel safe. Dupes are everywhere these days, from fast fashion stores to well-known designers; some even cost as little as $20 at H&M.
Rappers from the East Coast in the 1990s, such as Method Man and LL Cool J, endorsed the puffer coat and made it their go-to streetwear. Then, as is their custom, high fashion designers appropriated that style. Balenciaga, in particular, debuted an off-the-shoulder version in bright red in 2016 that inspired numerous.
Quilt coats have become popular as a puffer substitute since the pandemic because they are lightweight and have personality. Their quilt jacket is “by far the coziest thing I own,” according to Brooklyn-based fashion designer Nikki Graver, who also makes clothing under the Nikki Nectarine brand. It resembles a Norma Kamali puffer because of its long silhouette, large pockets, and deep hood.
“I believe individuals are reinventing puffers, finding novel and refreshing ways to stay warm,” they stated. “What constitutes a puffer coat is also changing.”
Maybe evolving, but not quickly enough for people who can’t take those cuddly, but incredibly cozy, monsters. If you’re interested, I purchased my lightning-bolt puffer from daily paper.