Am I the only one who can’t get behind puffer jackets? Like yuck. It feels like every time I see a winter coat, it’s either an oversized quilted thing or some streetwear collab everyone is hyping. My friend swears by his Nepa jacket and honestly, I get it. It's warm and light and this and that but I feel like I’ve lost the subtlety in how a coat can actually look.

I went shopping the other day and everyone was pointing at the same glossy puffer like it was the only acceptable option for winter. Meanwhile, I was scrolling through some random Alibaba listings to see if there was anything understated but still functional, just out of curiosity and I found some surprisingly clean cuts that I might actually wear outside the city without feeling like I’m trying too hard.

It’s like people care more about the brand logo or the puffiness than whether it actually fits with the rest of their outfits. No I do love a good layering piece but when your jacket’s louder than everything else you’re wearing, what’s the point?

Maybe this is me probably being too picky but am I really alone in thinking a good slim coat or understated shell can beat a puffer any day in both style and versatility?