How to Style Your Favorite Puffy Coat Without Looking Like the Michelin Man

The question “to wear a puffy winter coat, or not to wear a puffy winter coat?” is more complicated than it initially appears. Because puffy winter coat outfits are all form, no fashion—all function, no flair. To wear a puffy winter coat is to admit defeat in the eyes of the fashion gods: You’ve chosen practicality in all its puffy, chunky and surprisingly immobile glory. Lacking the sleek sophistication of a trench or retro ruggedness of a letterman jacket, puffy winter coats are the enemy of the sartorially minded; all they have to offer is warmth.

Or so I thought. But a deep dive into the world of street style takes on puffy winter coat outfits revealed that my logic was myopic, at best (and offensively small-minded, at worst). There are near-countless ways to sport a puffy winter coat—and to do so stylishly; the repertoire isn’t limited solely to tossing a longline black down jacket over whatever you’re already wearing. Puffy winter coats can serve as statement-makers in their own right—one-stop shops for style that elevate an outfit from ordinary to eye-catching. And understanding their full potential transforms them from reluctant necessity to winter wardrobe must-have.

Ahead, a visual guide to the myriad statement-making puffy winter coat outfits that have entered our sartorial history thus far. Some are shockingly elegant, others feel strictly streetwear-appropriate and others offer elevated (and cold weather-appropriate) takes on athleisure. Regardless of your style (and level of puffy winter coat skepticism), you’re sure to meet at least one puffy winter coat outfit you like—just keep scrolling.

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The off-the-shoulder trend isn’t exclusively reserved for tops and dresses.

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Nothing dresses up an all-black-everything athleisure look like a metallic puffer coat—and, let’s be real, some embellished slides.

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Split-sleeve coats are the perfect excuse to show off the boldest sweaters in your closet. (Especially if the rest of your outfit is comprised of pieces that match said sweater.)

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Puffer vests are totally on the menu, too.

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Sometimes, ya just gotta let your puffer coat be the entire outfit.

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Because statement-making style looks good no matter what you layer over it.

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Colorblocked, cropped and begging to elevate any tee-and-jeans combo.

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You’d seamlessly layer an olive trench over an all-neutral-everything ensemble, so why not treat your olive puffer coat the same way?

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Short-sleeve puffer coats are your excuse to have fun with silhouette.

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I mean, why not treat your go-to puffer coat like a shawl?

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As far as longline puffer coats go, tan is a seriously underrated color.

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Because puffer coats and delicate prints aren’t—and shouldn’t be—mutually exclusive.

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Who knew head-to-toe camel and red puffy coats could look this good?

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Nothing makes an instant statement quite like a colorful, outfit-dominating coat.

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Layering outerwear is a thing—puffy coats, included.

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If there’s a time and place for cropped sweatshirts, there’s also a time and place for cropped puffer coats—layered over crop tops.

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A plaid puffer coat is just an excuse to have a ton of fun with styling.

Christian Vierig/Getty Images for Zalando.

Embrace the inherent fun of a colorful puffy jacket by pairing it with equally voluminous, equally eye-catching pieces.

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Because longline coats are only accentuated by long sweaters and long pants.

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The opportunities to have fun with color, texture and silhouette are near-endless.

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OK, this puffer coat is literally runway worthy.

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Simplicity is always an option.

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Part-cape, part-coat, part-avant garde masterpiece—whoever said puffer coats were one-trick ponies was seriously misinformed.

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Amazing how the addition of a simple puffy coat took this outfit from simple to standout, huh?

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Because puffy doesn’t have to mean massive.

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Colorblocked, cropped, textured and paired with metallic gloves—have I died and gone to puffer coat outfit heaven?

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images.

See? Elegance is always an option.

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