How to Style a Puffer Vest?

The weather in the northern hemisphere has been getting hotter and hotter, and now even wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts will make you sweat. So, you probably have forgotten down jackets and other thick coats in such weather. However, the fact is that buying off-season clothing can save a lot of money! Many brands and merchants will sell down products that were not sold last winter at a discount in spring and summer.

Compared with puffer jackets, puffer vests seem like an unpopular choice. This is largely because puffer vests have no sleeves, so the warmth effect is compromised to a certain extent. However, for seasons or regions that are not particularly cold, a down vest is also enough to cope with cold weather. And from a fashion point of view, a down vest is more suitable for layering than a down jacket. So if you still don’t have a puffer vest, you can try to wear it in your outfit this winter under the guidance of this blog.

How to Choose a Suitable Puffer Vest?

Choosing a puffer vest may be more complicated than choosing other clothes. After all, when choosing other clothes, you only need to consider its fabric, color, style, etc. While when choosing a down vest, you need to consider not only its outer and lining fabrics, but also its filling materials to ensure warmth and even choose the right fluffiness. According to the order of importance, you need to consider the following factors:

🦢For a puffer vest, the most important factors that determine its practical function and wearing experience are the material and amount of filling. Therefore, we need to give priority to this when making a choice. Common down vest fillings mainly include goose down and duck down. If you have a sufficient budget, it is recommended that you choose a vest filled with goose down, because goose down has larger down clusters and is more fluffy, so it has a better warmth retention effect. On the contrary, duck down is inferior to goose down in these aspects. As for the down content, the general principle of selection is that the colder the place is, the higher the down content of the down vest you need. If the winter in your area is extremely cold, with the lowest temperature even reaching below -15 degrees Celsius, you may need a down vest with a down content of more than 230 grams. But if the winter in your area is relatively warm, a down vest with a down content of about 150 grams is enough to meet your needs.

🦢When choosing the outer fabric of a puffer vest, you need to pay attention to its waterproof performance. Because in autumn and winter, many areas have more rain and snow. If the outer fabric of the down vest is not waterproof, it will cause the filling to get wet and clump, thus reducing the warmth performance. As for the lining, your main concern should be comfort. It is best to choose a down vest with a soft and skin-friendly lining.

🦢Finally, the fashion effect of puffer vests should not be ignored too. The style of the down vest depends largely on your figure shape. If you have a well-proportioned figure and do not need to wear a lot of thick clothes under the vest, you can choose a slim-fitting down vest. If you have a certain amount of fat around your waist or abdomen, or need to wear other thick clothes under the vest, a looser down vest might be a better choice for you. In addition, it should be noted that if you are relatively short, then try not to choose a down vest that is too long, because it will make you look even shorter. On the contrary, a short down vest will be more suitable for you.

What Tops to Wear with a Puffer Vest?

Of course, you can't just go out wearing a puffer jacket. It is not only necessary to keep warm, but also an inevitable choice to create a layered look. Depending on your needs, you can choose a more versatile or more unique styled top.

🦢A knit top . The combination of a knit top and a puffer vest is probably the most versatile and daily look. Whether it's commuting or daily shopping, going to the library, or drinking coffee, it's a combination that will never go wrong. If you want, you can choose a slim-fitting knit top and pair it with a loose-fitting down vest. This way, the outfit will not only create a sense of layering, but also highlight the sense of contrasting.

🦢A hoodie. There are many vests that are without hoods, so if you pair them with a hoodie, this problem can be perfectly solved. Also, most down vests are solid colors without any pattern, so you can show your uniqueness with a hoodie. If you prefer a youthful style, you can choose a hoodie with cartoon characters. If your puffer vest is in a neutral color, you can definitely choose a hoodie in a brighter color to add more highlights to your look.

🦢A shirt. If you need to attend formal or semi-formal occasions, a shirt is still essential. But unless it is explicitly required to wear a blazer, you can wear a puffer vest over your shirt as an alternative in cold winter weather. This combination not only keeps you warmer, but also does not detract from your professional and capable image. Of course, the combination of a shirt and a down vest is not only suitable for formal occasions. On more casual occasions, you can also create a casual atmosphere by choosing a shirt with patterns such as stripes, or in non-neutral colors, or made of cozy fabrics such as denim and corduroy.

🦢A sweater dress. Although strictly speaking, a sweater dress is not considered a top, it should be said that the combination of a sweater dress and a puffer vest will more fully show your elegance and feminine charm. Of course, you can also enhance this look with other accessories, such as a belt to accentuate your waistline, or choose an A-line down vest to match with the shape of the dress.

How to Care a Puffer Vest?

Down is a relatively special material. If it is not cleaned or stored properly, it will be seriously impacted on its fluffiness and warmth retention properties. Therefore, whether it is the process of cleaning or storage, there are many things to pay attention to.

First of all, from the cleaning aspect, frequent washing should be absolutely avoided. If the stain is not particularly large, you can wipe the surface of the down vest with a wet towel dipped in clean water. Because the surface of the down vest is mostly made of waterproof fabric, simply wiping it with a wet towel will not cause a particularly serious impact on the filling inside. Alternatively, you can also dip the towel in a special down jacket cleaner. This cleaner must be neutral, because acidic or alkaline liquids will cause a certain degree of corrosion to both the surface and filling contents of the puffer vest. Also, be sure to avoid rubbing hard during the wiping process, otherwise the down inside will easily clump.

When spring comes, you may not wear your down vest for eight or nine months, so you need to clean it thoroughly. As long as you choose the right cleaning method and wash it no more than twice a year, the impact on the down is still very limited. In order to keep the down as fluffy as possible, it is recommended that you use the method of dry cleaning. Even if the label of the puffer vest indicates that it can be machined washed, it still needs to be washed in the gentle mode with the neutral detergent.

During the drying process, exposure to the sun directly needs to be avoided. You can choose to lay your down vest on a platform to dry. You can squeeze the water out of your down vest to make it dry faster, and you'll need to turn it over every few hours to dry it evenly. Also, when wet, it is difficult for the down to avoid clumping and becoming uneven, so after the down vest is dried, you also need to use a clothes hanger to pat it to try to restore the down to its fluffy state.

Before storing, make sure the puffer vest is completely dry. Otherwise, a damp piece of clothing placed in the closet will not only be prone to mold itself, but may also cause other clothing to become moldy. If conditions permit, it is best to hang the down vest on a hanger. Also, please note that not to place the down vest at the bottom of the wardrobe, otherwise the down will lose its fluffiness after being under heavy pressure for a long time.