topic Re: Why so many puffer coats?? in Fashion

Why so many puffer coats??

ellietoo — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:28:00 GMT

I understand that some may like puffer coats but honestly it is next to impossible to find a coat with a zipper that is not a puffer coat! Not everyone wants to be so well padded. Zippers seem to be disappearing! I had a nice zip front jacket that out of necessity I gave to someone who needed it. I thought that I could replace it easily, but no. All I find are open front cardigans and puffer coats OR something that buttons. The few jackets that zip are just not something that I would wear. Over the past two years “fashion” has become very strange. Little shape, almost all sagging synthetic materials, and poorly designed. It is not just QVC but they seem to be leading as far as decline. Not everyone is a vegan. Cotton, wool, and leather are quality materials and up to recently were readily available. They apparently have been cancelled by some.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

ECBG — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:34:04 GMT

Some fashion shows have meen more odd than odd at times!

In the past, I have found some tie belt coats to have zippers.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

CalminHeart — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:42:52 GMT

Try other retailers. I always price compare/shop.

Last week, I bought a name brand winter zip down jacket for 1/3 the usual price. It was a new-this-year jacket and less than what Q charges for theirs. Yes, it's down but it's not as full as a puffer coat even though they call it puffer.

Puffer coats are popular now so Q will air them all season.

A large part of the country experiences a LOT of snow, winds, ice, and temperatures down way below zero all winter. Those people - and I - need the warmer coats and puffers are usually a lot warmer than anything else.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

Harpa — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:00:34 GMT

Down always comes in puffers. I don't mind looking like the Michelin Tire man when it comes to walking out in a few days of our frigid s.e. PA winters!

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

Sunshine Kate — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:10:52 GMT

I've never liked puffer coats. It's a trend only, and I have never been a fan of trends.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

millieshops — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:24:36 GMT

The only coats or jackets that interest me are single-breasted but with no belt, but still some waist definition. No real or fake fur and preferably no breast pockets.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

PickyPicky3 — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:30:14 GMT

Puffer coats and jackets have been a "trend" in cold climates around the world for over 50 years.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

Meowingkitty — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:32:40 GMT

I don't know that much about coats as I never wear them. Don't even own one, but I've seen some nice ones at LL Bean, Land End, Eddie Bauer, REI etc. sometimes I wish I had the need for one.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

Imaoldhippie — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 13:10:36 GMT

@Sunshine Kate ..................Puffer coats are not a trend, they have been available for 30 plus years. People that live in places that have winters that are very cold wear them to keep warm. Im not really a puffer coat fan either but when I lived in Ohio I owned them to keep warm in the fridgid Ohio winters.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

chrystaltree — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 13:12:52 GMT

Puffer coats have always been popular and necessary in cold weather states because they are light but warm. And weatherproof. They are selling them to the people who need and want them. Surely you know that.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

PickyPicky3 — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 13:41:16 GMT

I bought my first puffer jacket in 1970 from Loehmann's. It was 100% down, really thick and made in Italy. I hated outgrowing it. It would easily be over $1,000 today -- I paid $60??

Prior to that there were insulated ski jackets and coats, but they were flatter.

Does anyone remember the "joy" of shopping at Loehmann's with their communal try-on room and always-present employee who watched you every minute? Interesting clothes and good buys but definitely paranoid owners.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

Trinity11 — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 14:05:09 GMT

@ellietoo wrote:
I understand that some may like puffer coats but honestly it is next to impossible to find a coat with a zipper that is not a puffer coat! Not everyone wants to be so well padded. Zippers seem to be disappearing! I had a nice zip front jacket that out of necessity I gave to someone who needed it. I thought that I could replace it easily, but no. All I find are open front cardigans and puffer coats OR something that buttons. The few jackets that zip are just not something that I would wear. Over the past two years “fashion” has become very strange. Little shape, almost all sagging synthetic materials, and poorly designed. It is not just QVC but they seem to be leading as far as decline. Not everyone is a vegan. Cotton, wool, and leather are quality materials and up to recently were readily available. They apparently have been cancelled by some.

I buy coats with Thinsulate....warmer than down and I avoid bulky down coats @ellietoo . Try Rei and L.L.Bean.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

Quse — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 14:58:35 GMT

Puffers don't bother me. I have a couple of puffers from Susan Graver which I absolutely love as car coats. Double zip, so I can get in and out of the car, perfect weight, and don;t make me look like the Stay Puff marshamallow.
One look in puffers that I do NOT like are the sports puffers that are shiny, space age fabric that looks like trash bags. My skier family members have them and I think they are so ugly, but, I guess we're all different and that's good...or we'd all be wearing the same thing

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

ALRATIBA — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 16:04:54 GMT

@PickyPicky3

Yes .... it was almost a weekly stop for me .... just across town within "walking distance" when I was younger.

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@PickyPicky3 wrote:
I bought my first puffer jacket in 1970 from Loehmann's. It was 100% down, really thick and made in Italy. I hated outgrowing it. It would easily be over $1,000 today -- I paid $60??

Prior to that there were insulated ski jackets and coats, but they were flatter.

Does anyone remember the "joy" of shopping at Loehmann's with their communal try-on room and always-present employee who watched you every minute? Interesting clothes and good buys but definitely paranoid owners.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

Kachina624 — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 16:18:09 GMT

@ellietoo. Puffer coats have evolved out of necessity. When I was much younger, living in Pennsylvania, everybody had a good, warm wool coat.

Now you never see coats of 100% wool because wool has become prohibitively expensive, same for other materials like leather and cotton. Manufacturers have adapted by using more synethics like polyester and rayon, in an effort to keep the price point affordable for most people.

Look for a puffer with flattering vertical or diagional quilted stitching lines in a darker color with vertical pockets. Some are puffier than others; I like down filled for more warmth with less bulk. Check out LL Bean and Lands End.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

LTT1 — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 16:32:20 GMT

@ellietoo

@Kachina624 @ALRATIBA @Quse @Trinity11

This is a Joan Rivers cost shown this morning and I thought I kind of liked it.

But looking at it closely, it is sherpa!

And look at these pictures from the listing....

The one wearing green looks so much nicer than the one in blue?

I do like the lapels though.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

Suxela — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 16:57:06 GMT

@PickyPicky3 I loved Loehman's. It was one of my favorite places to shop!

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

GinaV24 — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 18:00:02 GMT

Agree @CalminHeart that there are many parts of the country that need a very good coat for the winter weather. A few years ago I invested in one of the Arctic Expedition coats. It is definitely warm and generally I only need to wear it a few days in the winter. When I need it, I'm very happy to have it available.

Plus it's nice to have choices in coats. I have puffer coats in lighter weight and shorter lengths and I have some coats that are more dressy. I still have some of my mom's tweed coats that I wear if I'm going somewhere and want a nice outerwear coat to wear.

I also realize that I probably have too MANY coats but I wind up wearing most of them at one time or another thru the fall, winter and spring, so it works for me.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

GinaV24 — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 18:02:44 GMT

LOL @Meowingkitty that's so funny. My goal is to some day live where I don't NEED to wear a heavy coat.

I lived in Atlanta for a while - we had a major snowstorm while I was there. Since I had moved there from the northeast I had a heavy coat, boots, gloves etc. The storm closed down the entire city for several days. The good news is that it happened over the weekend so I was able to stay home until it melted and didn't have to go out and try and drive in an area where sanding and salting the roads was non existent.

Re: Why so many puffer coats??

RollTide2008 — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 18:03:26 GMT

I just saw a wool blend coat on Lands End’s website with a zipper. I think the zipper makes it look farty, but if you get it, enjoy!