How to Style Puffer Jackets and Still Look Stylish with our Ageless Style Link up
How to style puffer jackets may seem daunting when you don’t want to appear like a snowman. Yet there are some great styles now.
Quote of the day: “Life is the sum of your choices.” Albert Camus
Am I the only one that didn’t have a down coat before this season? It was the worry that I didn’t know how to style puffer jackets without looking like everyone else. But considering how much we’ve been hanging out outside, I’m glad I’ve given it a go.
And let me tell you why I used this photo above. It’s really us in a nutshell. There’s me trying to get everyone having fun and doing something different. There’s Lesley (welcome back Lesley) trying to play along, while my mom is almost always distracted or talking. And Nancy is a photographer’s dream always being ready for the camera. It’s such a common theme in our photos that I had to share, even though it’s not the “best” posed photo.
This is the second half of our trip up to Georgetown, Colorado. We took both our wool coats and these down coats to be able to stay warm while exploring the area.
Since there are a sea of puffer coats in Colorado, I thought we all did a great job of adding in either some fun color or accessories to make us stand out. And the best thing? None of us have a black coat on. I realize that’s the most popular of coat color in the winter. So maybe we aren’t popular?
Jodie’s (50+) Outfit
Coat: Happy Goat Lucky c/o (here)~~Boots: Rocket Dog (similar here)~~Scarf: (similar here)~~Purse: Urban Expressions (similar here)~~Hat: (similar here)~~Gloves/Mittens: Pandemonium & 2Chic (similar here)
Why I Wore This Outfit
This is the other puffer coat I was allowed to try out from Happy Goat Lucky. If you voted for your preference, I appreciate the input. Because I was sent two coats but was only allowed to keep one. Here was the comparison of the two along with my dilemmas. The overall majority was for this bronze coat as the winner. The color is definitely better on me, which I’m sure was a huge factor.
Which brings me to a point. Maybe the color of our winter coats should be a prime factor. Instead of always going with the “safe” color, consider what really looks good with your complexion instead. Especially since we need all the uplifting we can get in the cold, dreary wintertime. I know we can certainly add in accessories to help with that issue, but it’s easier if the base is a great color also.
Interesting Tidbit
These boots! Aren’t they just so fun? I have been a fan of DSW for many years now, but lately I haven’t found as many great deals there. So we ventured over to Gordmans, and was pleasantly surprised. I found this pair of floral booties for only $15. They are certainly out of my norm since they are more manly shaped. But the flowers (and price) won me over.
In fact, on this same shopping excursion, we found a pair of buffalo plaid sneakers for Rob. They weren’t quite as great a deal as mine, but we got them for about the price as the ones I linked to from the Rack. Why is it that guy’s shoes are always more expensive than women’s shoes?
Lesley’s (60+) Outfit
Coat: St. John’s Bay (similar here)~~Boots: Bear Paw (similar here)~~Scarf: thrifted (similar here)~~Purse: Maruca (similar here)~~Hat: Ralph Lauren (similar here)~~Gloves: (similar here)
Why Lesley Wore This Outfit
I love that Lesley’s down coat isn’t the quilted variety but more like the older types that maybe many of you still have in your closet too. If you’re anything like me, my coats last the longest of anything else in my wardrobe. Lesley said this one has survived several purges because it’s warm and the faux fur hood is fun.
And the best part is how just adding in a variety of accessories can make it seem so different. These boots are perfect for our adventure this day being warm and having great tread for walking. And then adding in the matching gloves and this scarf ties it all together.
Interesting Tidbit
Lesley is a huge fan of these Maruca purses. They are made here in Colorado and even sold at our Denver Art Museum gift shop. Every year they have a huge sale that Lesley loves to take advantage of. It’s always nice to find local companies to support especially when you love their products.
Nancy’s (70+) Outfit
Coat: Michael Kors (similar here)~~Boots: Enzo Angiolini (similar here)~~Scarf: (similar here)~~Purse: Steve Madden (similar here)~~Hat: Target (similar here)~~Gloves: (similar here)
Why Nancy Wore This Outfit
Nancy and I picked out this puffer coat about 3 years ago to add to her collection. We loved it because it seems dressier because of the color and quilting pattern along with the gold zippers. And it’s not so puffy. I think many of us struggle with how to style puffer jackets because some can be so thick. I always think a belt always helps this quandary, even if you don’t usually love belts.
Nancy also loves anything with a hood. She’s not much of a hat wearer (except when I suggest these outside activities), so a hood comes in handy.
Interesting Tidbit
If you have ever vacillated on whether to purchase burgundy boots, Nancy would tell you to pull the trigger. She bought these over 4 years ago. It was an impulse buy when she was with her friends, yet they have gotten SO much wear. I feel like burgundy is still a darker color that most of us crave in the winter, yet it’s not as heavy as black. And therefore, it still goes with almost anything.
Charlotte’s (80+) Outfit
Coat: Altra (similar here)~~Boots: Jambu c/o (similar here)~~Scarf: (similar here)~~Purse: (similar here)~~Hat: (similar here)~~Gloves: (similar here)
Why Charlotte Wore This Outfit
This coat was one of those kits from the 1980’s. Has anyone else made one? The funny thing is my mom constructed it when we were living in Ohio. Yet the kit and label says it’s from Boulder, Colorado. My mom has another coat that is a Frostline one that is from Denver. And now we live in Denver. Like it was meant to be.
My mom likes this coat because of the zipper feature. It zips from the top down. This makes it so much easier to zip “up” than trying to bend over to get it hooked at the very bottom.
Interesting Tidbit
I’m sure it’s no surprise that I adore a punch of color in most of my outfits. My mom? Not so much. She’s the matchy matchy type. So I was happily surprised to see her break out the yellow purse with this look. She almost looks as festive as the wreath behind her. If you want to see the usual, my mom wore this coat last winter with (of course) a green purse. Let’s take a vote to see which is your preference?
Tips & Tricks
I think with all of the updated styles and varieties available now, it’s not hard to style puffer jackets and still look stylish. In fact, my favorite ones now that I’m looking through my affiliate site are the print ones. You almost can’t tell that they are puffers.
In saying that, I do have to remind myself that it’s no biggie if our winter coat (puffer or not) makes us look bigger. Because like I spouted on about a couple of weeks ago, being concerned about any kind of “er” is just silly.
Dress for the weather, stay warm and have fun with all of the accessories to add pizzazz to your winter wear.
I did learn an interesting fact while researching puffer coats. Many of the sports brands are true to their price. Meaning not all down is quality down. Also did you know that they can wear out? In this forum, JanuaryGirl (who used to sell outdoor gear) gives a great explanation. So if your coat doesn’t seem to be keeping you warm anymore, it might be time to replace it.
Ageless Style Group
Onto the others in our ageless style group. I hope you check out how everyone differs in their puffer varieties. It’s always so interesting to see everyone’s unique takes on a theme. If you’re a blogger, make sure to join in on the link party.
Our co-host is Lana of My New Happy. I have known Lana for a couple of years now ever since she started helping out with the Forever Fierce group. She lives in the Seattle area, and was such a sweetheart to travel out to meet my moms, friend and hubby & I when we were there before our Alaska cruise. On top of that, I was able to spend some quality time with her at the FierceCon this last October. She’s one of those with such a huge heart and wonderful story.
Make sure to follow her on her other social sites too, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Lana’s blog is not as much about fashion as mine is. It’s been evolving over the years as she figures out what life is like when the kids leave the nest, and finding a way to feel settled. I may not have the same life experience, but her honesty especially when she was talking about her blogistential crisis really hits home. I think we all go through that at some point or another. We aren’t sure if we are really making a difference with our blogs. So when any of you reach out to me just to say one little compliment, it really means the world to me.
And I have to share Lana’s words when she sent me her photos. She said, “I decided to go full on “Jodie” for this one-A mix of casual and dressy, pattern mixing, and patterned tights.” Now that just melts my heart!!
Daenel ~ Living outside the stacks blog, instagram, pinterest, twitter
Debbie ~ Fashion Fairy Dust bloglovin, blog, instagram, pinterest, facebook, twitter
Jennie ~ A Pocketful of Polka Dots blog, instagram, facebook, pinterest, twitter, bloglovin
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style blog, facebook, instagram, pinterest, bloglovin, twitter
Jonet ~ Fabulously Chic Over 50 blog, facebook, , instagram, pinterest, twitter
Kellyann ~ This Blonde’s Shopping Bag blog, instagram, bloglovin, twitter
Lisa ~ Coast to Coast blog, facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest
Paula ~ Dimples on my What blog, facebook, pinterest, instagram, twitter
Shelly ~ The Queen in Between blog, instagram, bloglovin, pinterest, facebook
The Facts
I’m so glad to report that you should be able to Pin these images to your own Pinterest now. So I’d love it if you help me out and pin away!
Even if you wouldn’t consider purchasing your clothing online, it can be helpful to look through my links to see what is available! It certainly doesn’t hurt my feelings, if you click on them but don’t like them. Just so you know, one of the ways I make money from this blog is through these linked items.
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