Ways To Wear A Puffer Jacket: 20 Modern Outfits To Keep You Warm In Style

It went from gawky outdoor gear to streetwear must-have, but now it’s so ubiquitous that there are limitless ways to style a puffer jacket. Whether your style leans hip-hop, gorpcore or Scandi minimalist, there’s a puffer jacket outfit for you.

There’s also a wider selection of puffers than you might expect. They exist on a nerdy spectrum, swinging from urban to outback, with a natural blend of fashion and function.

At one end there are simple, lightweight down jackets that serve as a practical winter layer and also stuff down into your backpack. At the other, you’ll find enough technical details to warrant an instruction manual, with weather-proofing, foldaway hoods, taped seams, pockets and more.

Few of us endure the kinds of winters that require a jacket so technical it would go with you to Everest base camp but that doesn’t have to stop you from investing in something that will last for years. And chances are, even if you buy a technical puffer, you’ll still find ways to wear it around the city and even into the office.

Below you’ll find plenty of puffer jacket outfits to inspire your winter style, along with handy tips to keep it frosty no matter how much padding you’re wearing.

How to wear a puffer jacket: the guidelines

Know your style

Think of a puffer jacket and the image that probably comes to mind is one of a bulbous, cropped jacket with a funnel collar and side pockets. But the truth is, puffers come in more shapes, sizes and styles than you’d imagine. You’ll find throwback mountaineer versions, complete with technical details aplenty and which finish mid-thigh. Then you’ll find modern slim puffers that aren’t much puffier than a hoodie, or streetwear-friendly puffers with an oversized fit.

Whichever kind you go for should inform the way you wear it. Lean into a particular style or use it as a foil for something different underneath.

Play with proportions

One of the best things about wearing a puffer jacket is that it lets you have fun with your silhouettes like few other garments. The padded design makes for a naturally dramatic look and it works both with slim-fit pants or baggy jeans. If the jacket is cropped, the effect is even more exaggerated.

But long-line puffers are also worth a look. As well as extra protection against the elements, they have a robe-like quality to them and also play nicely with a pair of cropped trousers.

Work with your color

Color is a big consideration for a statement piece like a puffer jacket. Yes, you’ll find a lot of examples in black, navy and grey, but it’s also a style that lends itself to bolder sections of the color wheel.

Bright blues and reds recall vintage skiwear and mountaineering gear, while streetwear brands will sell you puffer jackets in just about any shade, from Barbie pink to acid green. Somewhere in the middle you’ll find muted tones of burgundy, green and camel.

Work out which shade will best complement your style and existing wardrobe, but remember that this is one piece where a little color is welcome.

20 modern puffer jacket outfits for men

Grey puffer with grey jeans

One of our favorite menswear trends of recent years is being able to dress like a mountaineer from the 60s, even if the highest altitude you’re reaching is the top of a multi-story car park. This is a fine example of the form.

A throwback puffer jacket and throwback hiking boots are worn with jeans and the kind of jumper that Scott wore to the Antarctic. Of course, this is Brunello Cucinelli, so it’s all fabulous, especially the puffer jacket itself.

Soft, luxurious wool is also incredibly practical and there are plenty of useful touches in the design, from zip pockets on the chest to a drawstring hood.

Puffer jacket and wide-fit pants

Nobody’s really sure what streetwear means anymore, but right now, we think it looks something like this: generous fits, mixed fabrics and a mash-up of smart and casual pieces.

In that mix, a puffer jacket is an essential winter addition. It offers warmth and practicality, plus big coat energy, but also something quietly sophisticated, especially in a cool tone like the one above.

Combining a puffer with cord trousers is a thoroughly modern way of wearing one. Again, it’s the cocktail effect that makes it work, mixing old and new, matte and shiny, smart and casual. Make it a wide-fit trouser to match the XL proportions of the jacket.

White puffer and black jeans

Throwing it back to the mid-90s is not something we’ll ever complain about. It was around this time that puffer jackets got a serious foothold in regular menswear wardrobes, worn by high school students, hip-hop royalty and everyone in between.

And just as it was back then, wearing a white puffer jacket with black jeans is statement dressing of a sort. The high-contrast combination simply can’t be missed.

Make the jeans wide-fit with carpenter-pant details like double knees or a hammer loop to double down on the 90s look.

Black-on-black puffer jacket

All-black outfits are a menswear no-brainer. They look like you’ve made an effort when the truth is a lot simpler.

Black-on-black puffer jacket outfits just have to follow the same rules as any other blackout fits. If the jacket is plush, bring in texture with other parts of the look – ribbed knits and washed denim are perfect.

There’s a similar rule around the color: rather than making everything matte black, introduce greys to the mix to create a sense of depth.

Black puffer jacket with green carpenter pants

Once upon a time, a black puffer jacket was for doormen, ravers and rebellious teenagers. Today, it’s something close to a versatile wardrobe utility player. You can wear one with jeans, smart black trousers or carpenter pants like the ones above.

Practicality is what ties this particular look together, even if there are lots of different accents involved: outdoor gear in the puffer, workwear in the utility pants and sportswear in the chunky running shoes. Black, green and grey is also an underrated colour combination for men.

Grey puffer jacket with white jeans

Trust Axel Arigato to prove that streetwear can be minimalist, even if the fits are anything but. Here, the Scandi brand creates an ice-cold look by combining a grey puffer jacket with white jeans and a T-shirt.

An all-white base is always going to make your outerwear pop, even a gunmetal grey like the puffer here. The stripped-back palette also shows off the silhouette, and a puffer jacket’s padded design always adds a bit of wintertime drama.

Long khaki puffer jacket with tailored black pants

When is a puffer jacket considered smart outerwear? That question sounds like it might have a complicated answer, but it doesn’t: a puffer jacket usually looks smart when it’s worn with other smart pieces. It’s a chameleon jacket in that sense.

As long as it’s clean and comes in a relatively muted tone, you can wear the same puffer you wear with jeans or a well-stocked daypack with a pair of smart black trousers and Chelsea boots.

In the outfit above, the knit is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, bridging the jacket and trousers together.

Black long puffer jacket and navy pants

One of the puffer jacket’s most endearing qualities is how it adapts according to whatever style tribe is wearing it. It works with preppy and rave, skatewear and gorpcore, Scandi and normcore.

The outfit above has elements of skatewear and preppy, with smart-ish pants worn with a hoodie, but really it’s a normcore look: practical and unpretentious. Which is what the puffer jacket is really all about.

Bright blue puffer jacket with navy pants

Bold shades are a lot easier to wear as outerwear than they are as regular layers. A puffer jacket looks great in striking primary colors and it’s a nice way to stand out from the sea of black and navy coats that dominate the winter.

The bright blue jacket above brings an otherwise minimalist outfit to life. The all-navy base layers are a solid option for the office, while the peacocking padded jacket – with its high-shine finish – looks like it’s just flown in from the Alps.

Men’s long black puffer jacket with cropped brown pants

There’s a slight danger that you’ll look like an angry football manager in a long, black puffer jacket, pacing the sidelines and gesticulating wildly at your players. Here’s how to dodge that trap.

Avoid a monochrome outfit by picking some pants and a top in different colors. The black, brown and cream above feel cozy and considered. Then play with proportions by pairing your long-length puffer with a cropped leg for a more interesting silhouette.

Brown puffer jacket with white pants

Proof that white pants don’t have to be packed away at the end of summer, this tonal look is a sophisticated take on warm winter dressing. The color combo of white with browns and beige is more usually associated with holiday wardrobes, linen shirts and lightweight summer knitwear.

Here, the chunky brown puffer adds some bulk to the slim-fit pants, while the Chelsea boots anchor the look as a practical smart-casual option for those bright but cold winter mornings.

Off-white puffer jacket with white pants

Part-Bond villain, part-heartthrob, this all-white outfit is a bold option for winter but it’s another example of how versatile puffer jackets can be.

A tonal look of whites and off-whites is a sophisticated way to layer up. And it’s not just about the color. The wool turtleneck offers some texture as well as extra insulation under the puffer, and it also gives you the option of wearing the jacket open.

The smart but practical hiking boots ground the look with some contrast.

Bright yellow puffer jacket with light wash baggy jeans

Take a note from the raver’s style book with a neon-colored puffer jacket. It’s about as loud as you can go, and this one is oversized with a high collar to boot.

Paired with light-wash jeans (also baggy) and a simple sweatshirt, it’s an uncomplicated but memorable take on winter streetwear.

Pink puffer jacket with black baggy jeans outfit

Another way to stand out in a puffer jacket: think pink. This outfit is essentially the same as the previous one with the colors remixed. The pink brightens up what is otherwise a stripped-back palette and a simple combination of jeans and a sweatshirt. And again, the proportions of the jacket are matched by the wide-fit jeans.

Does this count as Barbiecore? We’re not sure, but if you’re opting for a standout hue like this one, it’s always easier to keep the rest of the fit muted.

Green shine puffer jacket with black sweatpants

High-shine puffer jackets remind us of high-end ski resorts. They’re a little bit retro, a little bit sci-fi and fit with an ostentatious approach to luxury. If you’re wearing one of these, you want to be seen.

To maximize the effect, wear one with matte fabrics elsewhere in your outfit: jeans or joggers, knitwear or sweatshirts. Neutral tones are also advised for the same reason.

If you want to add some color, finish the look with some statement hiking boots.

Cropped camel puffer jacket with black jeans

Black jeans and a camel coat is a menswear no-brainer. Usually, it’s a wool overcoat but the combo works just as well with a camel-coloured puffer jacket.

Here, the contrast in fits is part of the appeal: slim jeans with a chunky padded puffer. The jacket is also cropped to maximize those proportions – the same trick that makes a biker or a bomber jacket look great with skinny jeans.

Long-length grey puffer jacket with raw denim jeans

Here’s another way to wear a long-length puffer jacket: treat it like a wool overcoat. Slim, dark jeans and a chunky knit is a timeless fall look.

Putting a long puffer over the top keeps the outfit sophisticated, so long as you go with a neutral color. The turn-up on the jeans plays with proportions while a trusty pair of moc-toe work boots finishes the look with a practical touch.

Brown puffer jacket with khaki pants

Here’s another example of wearing a puffer jacket like a different style of outerwear: in this case, a throwback flight jacket.

Cropped but chunky and with a big collar, this brown puffer works perfectly with a pair of khaki pants and a simple tee. The effect is a modern take on mid-century casual style, finished nicely with classic Chuck Taylors.

Grey puffer jacket with navy tailored pants

If you’re wondering how to wear a puffer jacket in a way that’s smart enough for the office (or at least the commute to it), this is how it’s done. A plush finish and not too Michelin man in proportions, it’s about as slim-fitting and minimal as a puffer jacket gets.

That makes it a practical layer but one that’s better suited to smarter outfits. The grey complements the all-navy combo of pleated pants and a quarter-zip top, making it a warm winter take on business-casual dress.

Bright red puffer jacket with black cargo pants

Bold red outerwear is a great option for statement winter dressing. These kinds of colors were originally used in mountain gear to make sure the wearer is spotted if they get into trouble. These days, the same is true to make sure you stand out on social media.

A bright red puffer jacket will always be the alpha piece in an outfit, so keep the rest of the look muted, with simple blacks and whites.

In this example, it’s sporty outdoor gear, but it could just as easily be black jeans and a T-shirt.