If you are like me, you like fashion and you also watch National Geographic to learn about the animal kingdom. And, maybe, find parallels with humans and their behaviors. You must have seen (at least on TV) the often hilarious-looking pufferfish. They rapidly gulp down water when they feel threatened, becoming a big spiky ball. You know that annoying thing some guy says – “you’re cute when you’re angry”? Well, pufferfish are cute when they’re angry. Though apparently one pufferfish contains enough toxin to kill 30 humans and there’s no antidote, which is quite a bit less cute.

You might have seen human “pufferfish” on the streets lately because this is how some people might look when they wear puffer jackets. If you don’t want to turn into a bloated balloon, know which puffer jacket to get. I’m not puffing my fashion sense up here, I’m just here to tell you about puffer jackets. So, let’s get straight to business:

I will start with my absolute favorite puffer jacket from Nanushka.

It’s made of vegan leather, which is ethical in terms of material but unethical because it creates that posh badass look your girlfriend will be jealous of. Leather looks are still going strong and so will you if you choose to wear this puffer jacket. Even though the jacket is called “Hide” you will definitely stand out in it and also keep super warm. Golden clip buttons on black leather look very rich and accessorize the jacket in a flattering way.    

If you like something hooded, go for a faux leather puffer parka from Apparis.

It looks busier than Nanusha’s style but the hood will protect you from unexpected rain or snow. Provided you don’t like wearing winter hats, hooded puffers are exactly what you need. But if you do wear headwear, check out our “Deal or Disaster” article on winter hats (and cowgirl hats, at the end).

If those jackets are out of your price range, Gap has a Midweight Faux-Leather Cropped Puffer Jacket. It would cost you 3 times less while its style is very similar to Nanushka’s. Again, there are so many creative ways to style it and most of them won’t backfire. You will have a dope look with this type of puffer jacket, so there will be no reason to get angry and spiky.

Do you want to be noticed and not look like anyone else? Go for a puffer made of unconventional material. Aritzia carries this corduroy puffer jacket. You can get it in 3 colors: birch, blue, and rustic. Shades of brown always look chic and rich and so does corduroy. The rustic corduroy puffer jacket is what I would go for. It looks original and unorthodox, so to say, but very easy to style. Even basic black pants will pop with this type of jacket. Even its name “The Cloud Puff” already makes me feel warm and snuggly and maybe even a little whimsical.

If you’re feeling more feline than fish, you can stand out with leopard print. Get it while you can. This type of pattern has fallen in and out of favor. It has been trendy for a while recently and I don’t think that will last much longer. AllSaints, a British fashion retailer, has “The Kala Puffer Coat,” which looks legit good and will provide you with extra warmth. It’s hooded and has big zip pockets to keep your belongings safe and popper pockets to keep your hands out of cold. AllSaints is not saintly to price it at $690 so you decide for yourself.

Now, if you want to see the leopard print gone wrong, check out this “Sixth June oversized puffer jacket.” All it does is just flicker before my eyes causing a headache. I don’t want the pattern to turn me into a crazy cat lady so I’m not going to get it and I hope not to see too many others wearing it. 

Stay tuned, stay stylish, come back for more next week!