Raise a hand if you can relate: winter has been upon us for a little more than a month, but the constant darkness has taken a toll on the joy of getting dressed and suddenly your love for a sharp fit has been replaced by a habit of uninspired layering of woolen layers. All the cold weather outfit Pinterest boards you hoarded in August are long forgotten. The only shopping you’re longing to do, is for summer dresses and spring colored tops. But alas, the temperatures won’t rise yet…

Alright, if you couldn’t tell, winter is getting to me. And I noticed I have too often reached for one of the same three woolen jumpers that I keep in rotation. Putting fun outfits together is less inspiring when I tend to think I look like a lump of wool, no matter what. But, I notice such a shift in my mood and productivity when I put an effort into my outfit, so I decided to take out some other items, hang them up and commit to wearing something different for a week.

The puffer jacket became my absolute savior. It is obviously seriously warm and makes less sheep-based outfits a lot more pleasurable. But it is – as I discovered after a little stubborn experimentation – surprisingly versatile and easy to style.

I used 3 guidelines when styling a puffer jacket:

  1. I used mostly neutrals and went with simple monochromatic, a contrasting color for the puffer jacket or very basic color palettes.
  2. I played with textures. A faux leather jacket can make the outfit a lot more edgy and somehow gives off the vibe that you chose this look for the aesthetic and it had nothing to do with the layer of ice covering your windshield.
  3. I experimented with proportions. I found the easiest was to go with a slimmer pair of trousers or leggings, whereas the baggy jeans and oversized puffer was more… challenging. The cropped version was almost fool-proof, and belting my longer jackets really made the silhouette a lot more flattering.

I found a few of my favorite puffer jackets (including the one I wear in the photo above, at $69.99), if you’re yet to get one for yourself, shop them below.

I hope these tips helped, be sure to watch the video below, I put together 10 different outfit ideas if you need somewhere to start!