Outerwear: Effortless Style, Regardless of What’s Underneath

Puffer coats are a must for most of us once the weather drops. They are functional and warm and, in the case of this Mackage mid-thigh length version, downright cute. We’ve talked about Mackage a bit this week. We just love their coats – luxurious and stylishly modern in a sophisticated fit that works for most everyone. They create a perfect pairing of function and fashion with this one. The hood has a wide wool ribbed trim, which looks great down – like a cozy oversized shawl collar – and is soft and warm when you need to wear it up. The coat has a leather trimmed belt detail in the back, which is a great trick to create some waist detail. There is leather accenting along all the zipper details, too. The inner stand-up collar and 90% duck down fill ensure that this coat is more than just pretty.

We absolutely love the pairing of interesting and stylish fabrics with the practicality of a down quilted coat. This Ashley B delivers. The charcoal grey mohair/wool/alpaca blend that covers the body of this piece is simply beautiful and sophisticated. The sleeves are leather, with a stylish (and practical) knitted cuff with thumb holes. (Note: These cuffs are so versatile. You can wear a glove over or under them – we prefer over, so if you need to pull off your glove to use your phone, your hand will still have some coverage. And, of course, if you choose to not use the hole, they act as a typical cuff.) The sleeves and pockets have stylish and useful zippers, and the zipper of the body goes all the way up the oversized collar, so you can fold it over and really bundle up. This is perfectly casual, but all the chic details make it anything but basic.

Sometimes, you just need a smart and classic peacoat. They never go out of style, and when they look like this one from Mackage, they dress up and down with ease. The leather seam detailing gives this otherwise timeless style just a bit of a stylish, feminine update. The trimmer silhouette is slimming, but still practical to wear over your sweaters. This comes in all black (click through the “shop it” button to see), but we love the modern mix of navy and black we’re showing here – very sophisticated and effortlessly chic when paired with your favorite black leather gloves and cold weather accessories.

With shearling making such a strong comeback, we had to show you this one from Vince. Yesterday, we showed you a dressier style that we adore. Today, it’s all about casual ease. The yummy camel leather and natural color shearling are simply stunning – and look amazing with jeans and well, anything. This is timeless. The asymmetrical snap closure allows you to let the oversized collar lay open or stand up and fold over for a soft and cozy enclosure. The color stands on its own – don’t worry about trying to match it. You’re black or brown boots will look great with it. And jewel tone, black, ivory, or navy gloves/scarves/and hats will look great. You can even do a stylish plaid scarf.

Sure, there are lots of puffer vests out there. J. Crew’s is a great wear-now layer that is stylishly warm. The fabric has a grid pattern in its subtly shiny finish. It comes in beautiful colors for this season – this green and the dark cranberry are our favorites. Layer it over a chunky sweater, and perfectly broken-in jeans or your favorite athleisure pants (you know, those fancy sweats).

Deceptively warm, this North Face jacket is insulated with PrimaLoft – The North Face’s high tech water-resistant answer to down. While thin and lightweight, the fill in this style is equivalent to 600-fill down, which is known to keep you warm down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Without any bulk, and lots of style. The small quilting and sleek paneling is slimming, while the 2-way zipper is not only functional (great for sitting in the car or on the subway) but it matches the color of the jacket. On that note, the deep purple burgundy is a stylish option for this season that looks great with jeans (the dark green and black are well done, too). The stand-up collar is fitted to keep drafty winds out. Overall, this is a wonderfully functional piece with easy, casual style – great for running errands or watching the kids games over the weekend.

If you remember last winter in most of the country, you want to be prepared this season. This Canada Goose jacket has been tested to keep you warm well into the single digits, and is also water resistant. It has a 2-way zipper and hits just around the knee, so it’s great for everyday winter wear - especially when you need to get out there to walk the dog or shovel out the car. If you really want to pull out the big guns, this longer version will keep you warm down to approximately -25 degrees Fahrenheit. With stats like these, we ALMOST wouldn’t care about how these coats look. Almost. We’re in luck – they look great. We really like that they have the warmth of an amazing down coat, but a sleeker look than a traditional puffer. Even the grey color we’re showing makes it more special – and, of course, it comes in black, too.

UNIQLO started in 1984 in Japan – creating classic fashion at great prices. UNIQLO opened its first store in the US in 2005, and is building great momentum. They are known for their Ultra Light Down line – shocking lightweight down jackets that are seriously warm – and at an amazing price. This down jacket is so lightweight, you will not believe it until you put it on for yourself. But don’t let the weight fool you. This piece will keep you warm down to about 35 degrees Fahrenheit. And once it gets colder than that, it’s so slim and light that you can easily layer it under another coat for an added layer of warmth. It comes with a small bag that it easily folds into for easy packing, too – a great travel piece. This also comes in black, which is our favorite. They have a non-hooded version, too.