The airy, featherweight lightness of a cosy puffer will get you through a winter of walking
The puffer jacket is to lockdown 3 what the tracksuit was to lockdown 1. It is the uniform that unites government-grounded teenagers with parents whose office wardrobe has been stood down. Like a tracksuit, a puffer is comfortable and comforting. A tailored blazer reminds you to stand up straight at all times; a puffer jacket puts its arms around you, and lets you slouch and jam your hands in your pockets. There is something cheery about the airy, featherweight lightness of a cosy puffer jacket at a time when the weight of the world can feel pretty heavy on the old shoulders.
The puffer – or duvet coat, if you prefer – is practical but with a bounce and springiness that lends just a touch of swagger. Versatility might seem unnecessary right now, since nipping to the chemist and walking the dog are not wildly different in their sartorial tone, and there isn’t much else allowed. But just as Sweden has 25 words for snow, lockdown has evolved intricate subcategories for the mood of each walk. Sometimes a walk is just an errand, sometimes it is exercise, sometimes it is the very real and urgent need to get out of the house in order not to go completely stir crazy.
Related: Want to look modern? Raise the waistline of your dress, jeans or skirt | Jess Cartner-Morley
Continue reading...