A big, puffy edit of very nice puffer jackets (and some ideas for how to style them)

Because we all like to indulge in some self-swaddling in the depths of winter.

Jul 22, 2025

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A two-handed intro from us this week, friends!

From Annie:
We can’t deny the comfort and warmth of a puffer jacket, especially down here in Melbourne. A woman told last week that our winters are colder than the winters she’s used to back home. In Ireland. Not literally colder, of course — but there’s just something about our terrible housing insulation and relentless grey skies that seeps into your bones. Sometimes, the plush, rotund encasement of a puffer jacket is the only thing coaxing you out of the house in the morning. It certainly is for me.

Soph asked me earlier today if I remembered the term “fiancé jacket”. Apparently, when she first moved to Melbourne in 2007, the freshly graduated boys of ultra-elite colleges roamed the streets of South Yarra in their North Face jackets like expensive caterpillars in shiny cocoons. At one point, Soph reckons, these infamous puffer jackets were referred to as the “fiancé” jacket — so called because they were the chosen fashion statement of Melbourne’s most ‘eligible bachelors’, I guess?

Now these boys have graduated into company-branded padded vests and we’ve wised up as to what actually makes a bachelor ‘eligible’. And, mercifully, puffer jackets have also enjoyed their own awakening, moving from pure functional territory to worthy wardrobe addition with serious styling potential.

I have owned the same puffer for a few years now — a Uniqlo x Jil Sander collab number that was really one of the best uses of money I ever did exercise. It has seen some things: baby snot, adult snot, croissant flakes, dog slobber, rain, tears, coffee, wine (no doubt). But about a year ago, it fell into the part of my house where only bad things go (we all have that cupboard, right?) and has now been lost. I have my eye on the on-sale Alpha60 option Soph has selected in one of the outfit ideas below as my new, more grown-up puffer, and I look forward to covering it in all manner of life’s detritus.

Speaking of worthy wardrobe additions, Soph helped me this week with a major, total wardrobe audit. Perhaps emboldened by her mild horror at the chaotic state of my wardrobe (my secret shame, very un-Virgo-like of me), she encouraged me to be uncharacteristically ruthless about what was serving me versus what needed to go in order to make room — both literally and figuratively — for what makes me feel best. Can’t wait to share more about this soon, stay tuned.

From Sophie:
While clearing out Annie’s wardrobe, we came to the topic of home clothes: the comfies you wear at home, to the supermarket, to the coffee shop and then sometimes for the entire weekend because you can’t bothered with anything else.

They’re the clothes you spend 80% of your time in, but are so often things you really wouldn’t want your frenemies catching you in, and often feel terrible wearing them. My advice here? Do an audit and get rid of crap. You shouldn’t own anything you don’t feel good wearing, especially something you wear so often. If these are the pieces that get most of your airtime, then why don’t we invest in them? Like a good mattress we use every day, these pieces should be considered pieces of our wardrobe. An investment in ourselves and feeling good.

We moved some of Annie’s old clothing rotation into home clothes territory, because while she may no longer want to wear them outside in her day-to-day, they elevate her home clothes. The aim is to curate a home clothes repertoire that you’d feel good in switching up your slippers for slides and wearing to the pub.

With all this in mind, this week’s outfit recommendations focus mostly on weekend comfies to pair with your puffer, so that you don’t feel daggy. Making the outfits that you can’t avoid in winter feel and look good.

A key styling trick? Whether the piece comes with a belt or not, add your own! The fabrication of a puffer makes for incredible outfit sculpting. And be messy with it! So often we get stuck in perfecting our outfits, but a little mess and crease make the outfit yours.

Looking to change up the puff piece you already own? Use these outfit recs as formulas for getting dressed. And for even more outfit inspiration, we’ve put together a moodboard below ♥️

Puffer Jacket Styling

We also had a request in our private group chat for winter headwear that isn’t your regular cap or a beanie, so we’ve had a little hunt and found some very cosy local options for your nog. Are you a paid subscriber and not yet a member of the chat? Send us your IG handle and we’ll add you!