A couple months ago Ariana Grande wore an oversize white puffer jacket after calling off her engagement, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. This is the first time I’ve ever thought about a puffer jacket multiple times, and it’s the only time I’ve wished I owned one.
The reality is that I’ve always had a complicated relationship with puffer jackets, and by that I mean I’ve always hated them. They’re clunky, they can be too warm, and if you get one with shoddy construction, you end up with faux feathers all over you when you take off your coat. Not cute.
But here I am now, wishing I owned a oversize white puffer jacket because Ariana Grande looks so unbothered and badass in hers. Some might say that look had to do with her massive Chanel shopping bags, but I think it was all about the puff. While some go off the grid after a bad breakup, there was Grande, wearing a jacket you couldn’t help but notice. She was combatting Pete Davidson’s big dick energy with her own big coat energy. Not only did the large white puffer jacket call attention to her, but it also looked like the clothing equivalent of comfort food. I suddenly really wanted to have one and it wasn’t hard to rationalize why.
A white puffer jacket like Grande’s is obviously great for the cold—it’s basically a very expensive duvet you can wear out of bed. The color means it’ll match with everything in your closet, and the size makes anything you’re wearing seem like a statement outfit (Ariana paired hers with sweatpants). Puffer jackets are notorious for being hard to navigate in, but oversize white puffer coats aren’t ashamed to resemble the Michelin man. Instead they say, “I know you’re looking at me, but I don’t care.” In other words, they’re perfect to keep the warmth in and the haters out. White puffer jackets also look like Ariana Grande’s favorite cloud emoji, and just like that emoji, they work in every possible scenario whether that be calling off a celebrity engagement or ordering a breakfast sandwich from your local diner. The softness is also great for resting bags worth thousands of dollars on your arms, which is an issue I’ll admittedly never have—but it’s nice to be prepared, just in case.
Even better, once I opened my heart to puffers, I found that 2019’s iterations have gotten a serious upgrade, whether that’s temperature control insulation or a variety of lengths so you can find your best fit. Shop the the best white puffer jackets ahead.
In September, I turned 25 years old. To celebrate my birthday, my Aunt Terri sent me a lovely card that had a crisp $50 bill inside—“spend it on something nice,” she wrote. At first, I had sights set on the extreme: Why not I ~treat myself~ and put the cash toward a fancy massage, or maybe that Insta-famous bag everyone is posting about? But my sensible, just-entered-my-mid-20s side kicked in: I placed it in my wallet, and moved on. The moment will present itself, I thought.
A week later, it did: I was picking up an online order at a Uniqlo store (it’s free, people!), when I decided to meander around the racks of fall/winter clothes. I tried on a puffer coat, a cashmere hat… Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it—a a tailored fleece jacket that I absolutely needed to have. (When you know, you know.) It was so cozy, but also neutral, so I could see myself wearing it with pretty much everything I own. My instinctual reaction was confirmed when I looked at the price tag: $39.90.
Without even thinking, I walked to the counter, handed over Aunt Terri’s $50 bill, and floated out of Uniqlo with $10 to spare. And I’ve been wearing the fleece jacket nonstop ever since, even when it’s not actually cold enough for fleece. I’ve had multiple strangers—and my dental hygienist—approach to ask about it, and I proudly respond with how much I paid for it. Now, I’ve started hunting for more under-$50 fleece to add to my closet, and have been pleasantly surprised with my findings. Check out some of my favorites (including the Uniqlo jacket that started it all, obviously), ahead.
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Tweed is a fabric most often associated with the prim-and-proper—the Coco Chanel’s and Blair Waldorf‘s of the fashion world. It’s classic and polished, often found in matching blazer-and-skirt sets. For Fall 2018, though, designers did a 180, showing tweed in a brand-new—and decidedly non-preppy—light: with metallic shimmer (at Moschino), neon threads (Prada), and, in the most look-at-me cases, tinsel sleeves (we see you, Gucci.) You’d sooner see a cropped tweed jacket over a corset-dress like at Thom Browne or an all-tweed bomber jacket at Alessandra Rich than as part of a buttoned-up suit. These new interpretations have us rethinking tweed, and looking to incorporate the material into our cold-weather wardrobes—starting with outerwear.
The tweed jackets you’ll find in stores right aren’t quite as extra as their runway counterparts, but they’re still a departure from what might come to mind when you think “tweed jacket.” Check out 16 takes on the style, inspired by the fall 2018 runways.
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Corduroy isn’t exactly known for its sex appeal. The fabric is stiff, thick, and relatively unforgiving. It’s what your parents dressed you in as a kid. It’s the name of the bear from the classic children’s book in which he wears a notoriously unsexy pair of baggy green overalls. Corduroy isn’t denim and it isn’t leather, it doesn’t have a reputation for being worn by rock stars or models. Although, I will say, Bradley Cooper did look good wearing it in American Hustle. But this isn’t about him.
What I’m trying to get at is that corduroy is an unexpected candidate for most popular fabric of 2018, but it just might be. Marc Jacobs—who has a knack for taking things that seem otherwise unwearable and making them beautiful—prominently used cord in the designs for his Fall 2017 collection. That same fashion week, Miuccia Prada showed corduroy too. Jacobs models looked like they had just stepped out of the screen from a film called Hip-Hop Evolution (his inspiration) whereas Prada’s appeared to be walking off the streets of Italy in the 60s. Regardless, everyone actually looked good in corduroy (and not like a teddy bear) and other brands like MSGM, Gucci, Helmut Lang and Tom Ford took note.
In the past couple of weeks, more attainable brands like Mango, Rag & Bone, Topshop and H&M have started stocking anything and everything in corduroy. Case in point: there’s even a corduroy puffer. But the most popular piece I can’t stop thinking about is a pink corduroy jacket. If there is a single piece every brand has made without fail, it’s that.
First I fell in love with the one worn by Alexa Chung for her namesake brand but it’s $655 (it’s also made from a fancy velvety cotton blend from Portugal, so if you can buy it, please do).
Then I saw cool Instagram brands like STAUD and Paloma Wool had their own iterations of the corduroy pink jacket of my dreams. Both different. Both perfect.
And although they won’t necessarily break the bank (Staud’s is $225 and Paloma Wool’s is $179), it wasn’t until I saw this photo of Lisa Aiken, Net-A-Porter’s fashion director, that I was convinced I didn’t have to shell out a couple hundred for this look.
Aiken’s set is from Mango and costs just under $150 which is just the right amount I’d want to spend on a pink corduroy jacket. The piece is a must for fall for lots of reasons: it’s easy to wear by itself or with a jacket on top.
A corduroy blazer jacket is also empowering in it’s refusal to be conventionally sexy. The millennial pink shade reimagines the almost overdone color in a new fabric. Basically, it’s something you never thought you’d want but you’re going to want one (or all) of these eleven. Shop the affordable Mango alternative and 10 other affordable options below.
Recently Mango has done an incredible job at making everything trendy that everybody wants (see this striped sweater and these snakeskin boots). Evidently they didn’t disappoint with this perfect pink corduroy. It would also look great with the matching set of pink corduroy straight trousers.
Buy It: & Other Stories Double Breasted Corduroy Blazer, $149, & Other Stories
If you want pink corduroy but aren’t into the idea of a blazer, Urban Outfitters has an option that is basically a more fuzzy denim jacket. Also it’s on sale so you really can’t lose.
Topshop’s borg jackets have a quintessential seventies feel and the matching pink shearling lining is a nice touch. Would definitely recommend getting this and the matching Corduroy skirt with zip for a really good outfit that requires no effort and would look just as great as separates.
This AE corduroy trucker jacket isn’t your standard trucker jacket because the sleeves are actually billowy which makes it perfectly on trend with the statement sleeve movement.
We can’t say with certainty whether Aqua had fashion in mind when they sung “life in plastic, it’s fantastic” back in 1997, but two decades later, designers seem to be catching on. Runways from New York (Marc Jacobs) to Paris (Chanel, Valentino) featured plenty of PVC for spring, and the street-style crowd gave the slick material a rousing endorsement outside the shows, pairing vinyl skinny pants with classic cable-knit sweaters, and glossy jackets with tattered tees. To give credit where credit is due, Raf Simons ushered in the recent craze back in February with his first collection for Calvin Klein, which featured plaid overcoats, floral dresses, and furs topped with a layer of translucent plastic. If you don’t have the budget to invest in one of those pieces of fashion history, however, there’s an abundance of options at ASOS, Topshop, Zara, and the like that will let you try the trend without going broke. Shop our picks at all price points below.
The iconic trench silhouette is ideal for unpredictable, in-between-seasons weather—and, as Karlie Kloss proves, it’s a fail-safe way to make any outfit feel effortless and glamorous, instantly.
Whether layered up with a T-shirt and jeans (like Kate Mara did, here) or worn over a flirty dress in warmer months, the denim jacket is a staple for a reason: It always looks cool. Right now, we’re feeling boxy, structured shapes, but feel free to go with a cut that suits your style.
A cashmere or wool overcoat in a beautiful color is the style you’ll reach for again and again during the fall and winter seasons. Our recommendation: Invest more in this particular buy than you would on any other seasonal purchase. You’ll likely wear it the most often, after all, and for the longest amount of time, so you might as well love it.
Whether it’s everyday wool, luxe cashmere, or fancy silk, a knee-length jacket that’s nice enough to wear with all your best dresses and skirts is a must. Just take a page out of the Zendaya style book!
If you’re looking for a topper that looks as chic on date night as it does over your jeans-and-tee, à la Lala Anthony, look no further than the bomber jacket. Nowadays, you can find the jacket rendered in everything from satin to velvet, and in every shade imaginable—so feel free to branch out from basic black and green.
A trench does the job most of the time, but when it’s pouring outside and you forget your umbrella (or if you’re, well, skirting the paparazzi like Rita Hora is, here), you might prefer a real-deal raincoat. For the record: Your mac can be cute—just seek out one in high-shine PVC or in an eye-popping hue.
We couldn’t put together a roundup of go-to fall jackets without including the leather moto. It never goes out of style, and it goes from airport to office to drinks with ease. Also, sometimes a girl just needs to channel her inner Selena Gomez, ya know?
Freezing for the sake of fashion is never a good look…especially when there are so many cute puffers and parkas to be had! A puffer like Kendall Jenner’s, for instance, could be your ticket to subzero chic.
Our golden rule when it comes to a “must-have list”: Leave one spot open for a crazy, makes-no-sense piece that’s incredibly fun. Take Gabrielle Union’s sparkly topper, for instance: Who can deny that this unexpected coat totally makes this outfit? Girl’s onto something.
