Q&A about individual items, ensembles, and wardrobe

Hunting the ever-elusive perfect cream puffer coat

Everyone here pretty much knows the parameters of the perfect cream puffer coat. It evaded me last year but now the hunt is on again! Sadly, I could have worn a coat like this on two of the past three days!! Ugh. Welcome winter :)

-- flattering seaming (i.e. not horizontal)
-- hood
-- fake fur trim
-- below-knee length

Anyone spotting a specimen of this elusive and perhaps endangered species of puffer coat, please let me know!

The latest reply was from Patience . You can follow further contributions to the conversation through the RSS 2.0 feed.


29 Replies

Posted 1 month ago
Posted 1 month ago

Sooooooooo elusive! I have given up. So I went onto plan B because I really need a new long puffer. I am opting for black and wearing the look with my WHITE 20 eyelet Docs. Just changed the colour positioning around. I'm happy :0)

Posted 1 month ago

Oh Laura, I have hunted for over a year for a very similar one, the only difference was that I wanted a knee-length one, and found nothing :(

So I also gave up, and decided to get a black one later in the season. If the perfect cream one miraculously shows up at some point, I will certainly get it, but in the meantime I am done looking.

Posted 1 month ago

Oh no, if Tanya and Angie have given up, then this really might be a quixotic quest ...

Anna, thank you so much for the suggestion - I really need it to be longer, though, given our cold winters and the fact that I like to wear dresses.

Would you ladies mind revealing where you found your perfect black puffer coats? I might also be waving the white (or cream) flag on this one and going for black.

Posted 1 month ago

I found one last year! It was towards the end of the season so I didn't get that much use from it but I got it at Kenneth Cole. It's cream, around knee length, and has vertical/diagonal seaming. The only downside is that the fur trim- it is unfortunately not fake, yuck, I know and is also dyed cream and not brown like I would have preferred. I have a black puffer than is mid-thigh length that is several years old from J Crew as well but it's not as flattering (in terms of seaming) and getting kind of old - it's probably time to retire that one.

Posted 1 month ago

I really wanted one last year too, and ended up with this one:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JA8_.....as+066.jpg
There is actually faux fur trim on the hood. It's from Target so it's not a real fancy one, but it did the trick for under $30. If I lived in a colder (snowy) climate I'd probably want a better one, or an additional one.

Posted 1 month ago

Laura, there are several available on bluefly all the time so keep checking NOW, otherwise your size will run out! Also, check Bloomies and Nordies. I've found their style selections to be the best so far. Puffer season is almost upon us and there are loads of fabulous options in black :0)

Posted 1 month ago
Posted 1 month ago

I've tried on the S&K version in grey and black and it’s KILLER. It fits perfectly with a cropped jacket and a few other layers underneath. The sleeve length is long enough and the length is on the knee. The funnel neck is perfect for my giraffe neck so that’s the one I’m going to get very soon! It’s VERY warm. Perfect for below zero.

Posted 1 month ago

Angie you have a pair of white docs now too? Woohoo! When are we going tos ee pics????

Posted 1 month ago

Ooh, Inge, I love the Mackage coat, and I can completely see Angie in the S & K coat. What a fab funnel neck! But a hood is so important in Chicago that it takes the S & K out of contention for me. As for the Mackage coat ... well, thank you for giving me a new coat stalking obsession :)

I'm also considering this DKNY version. It's much sportier, but my lifestyle is casual:

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/.....x-xx.index

Posted 1 month ago

That's sweet, Laura. If the colour is right - the DKNY style could work!

Posted 1 month ago

Well, I saw the DKNY in store at Macy's and wasn't as thrilled as I hoped. So now I am on to this Patagonia coat. Hmmm. We'll see - maybe I'll put it on my Christmas list!

http://www.patagonia.com/web/u.....?p=28436-0

Posted 1 month ago

Rotten luck :0(

Oh! I’ve seen the Patogonia one too, Laura. It looked fabulous on my tall client. Hope it works out !

Posted 1 month ago

I saw this and thought of you, they do deliver to the US if you can stomach the postage fee
http://www.marksandspencer.com.....A210728031

No worries if you don't like it.

Posted 1 month ago

What about this one?

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/.....ageID=5585*2*24*-1*-1*39

Yes it has horizontal seaming but I have this suspicion it might work anyway, since the pattern accentuates the waist.

I like this one too:
http://www1.bloomingdales.com/.....ageID=5585*2*24*-1*-1*43

If it wasn't for the darn conspicuous logo, I would buy a North Face in a second - these coats are NOT bulky at all, and quite flattering. I see this coat everywhere here in Boston. I just hate the logo:
http://www1.bloomingdales.com/.....ageID=5585*2*24*-1*-1*41

What about this?
http://www1.bloomingdales.com/.....ageID=5585*3*24*-1*-1*71

Posted 1 month ago

Ooh, Rose & Joan and Shiny, thank you for adding some options. I am a little hesitant ordering from the UK in case of return and the shipping costs. It cost me way too much $$ to order and return a pair of Topshop brogues that didn't fit :( But the coat is beautiful! Shiny, that first coat is exactly what I'm looking for, except that I don't do fur. The other two are too short, and the last has that fur problem again. Now you see my dilemma! But thanks for trying.

KristenKP and I are hitting the mall on Friday eve in search of the perfect puffer. Based on Shiny's finds, I think we need to add Bloomie's to our list. Yes, temps have risen into the high 60s again, but we Chicagoans know what's coming our way, and it won't be long before we are reaching for our puffers!

Posted 1 month ago

Ah, faux fur? Put American Eagle on your list. I normally don't shop there BUT I got my brown hooded parka there last year (http://s386.photobucket.com/al.....08104.jpg), which is super warm and well made (though DH accidentally broke the zipper while we were in Iceland... and I still need to get that fixed). Because it's more of a junior cut, you get a waist and it's designed to be a lot more slimming than the usual parka. But if you want to wear a lot of layers, you'll probably want to size way up. Worth a look!

Check this one out:
http://www.ae.com/web/browse/p.....=0386_1381

Posted 1 month ago
Posted 1 month ago

.... and the North Face comes in a long version too... on me, the XS hits at ankle-length. That's actually the one I considered last year. If you don't mind the logo and you want practical, it is worth a look.

Posted 1 month ago

Definitely Bloomie's is on the list now!

I've looked at the ON one and it just doesn't look as warm as many of the others.

Posted 1 month ago

Yes, I don't know if the ON is down ... same with the AE version, although it's really cute. But AE is between Macy's and Bloomie's so might be worth a stop.

Posted 1 month ago

Laura, are you a member of ideeli (one of those online sample sale sites)? if not, I can send you an invitation.

The currently have a sale on Laundry outerwear and there is a cream puffer that is almost perfect (and deeply discounted too), it just does not have a hood, but it has a nice big faux fur collar:

http://3.images-production.ide.....90x263.jpg

Posted 1 month ago

Oh Laura, I'm sorry you were stung with the postage on the oxfords, I promise not to send you any more UK links! Good luck, your hunt is certainly looking more promising.

Posted 1 month ago

Oh, RoseandJoan, I didn't mean that at all. Live and learn, right? Please continue with the UK links ... I love to see everything that's out there!

Posted 1 month ago

I saw this last night on the TV....the models showed it much better than the picture but it has an adorable collar and is nice fitting around the waist. COmes in Ivory and Brown

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp......stant-Coat

I was also in Eddie Bauer Outlet today and they are having a down sale right now and saw one at 20% off $149.00 I didn't try it on but it looked like a nice one.

Posted 1 month ago

Re Patagonia...love their stuff, it's all top-quality for outdoorswear. I've been wearing their down vest around the apartment while waiting for the heat to go on. One bonus of the Patagonia coats: Since they're filled with 600-fill or even 800-fill down and no feathers as far as I can tell from the descriptions, I think they'd be lighter and warmer for the weight than "fashion" coats from Bloomie's and Macy's and the like.

And I just mentioned this in another post, but Bluefly is advertising 10% off its sale prices today, and it has a good selection of down coats, though not in your desired color...

Posted 1 month ago

I just spied this online at Kohl's

Not sure if it is warm enough, but it does have the detachable hood with faux fur.

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStor.....acket.jsp#

Posted 1 month ago

They don't appear to have your size and it's not quite ivory but I'm posting it anyway for maybe someone else who's looking or if you can do a web search or something:

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/.....Type=PDPZ1

Posted 1 month ago