The Rise of the Puffer Jacket
The Puffification of Australian Streetwear
Where the bloody hell are you? Not on the beach, but freezing in a wind tunnel in Melbourne. As appealing as our tourism commercials are to foreigners, the reality for many of us especially through the colder months, is shivering in houses designed to keep heat out, rather than in.
Glue Store offers a range of puffer jackets in the latest colours and styles to suit your needs. It’s time to stop being cold. Shop our range of outerwear and discover the origins of the puffer jacket.
How Bulky is Bulky Enough?
Adopted in the 1990s by the hip hop scene in New York, puffer jackets went from being a garment for hiking through nature, to being associated with the glitterati of the music world. More than just a way to show off a brand name, puffer jackets in their overzealous proportions represented something of what it meant to be a hip hop artist, and to stand-out in a crowd.
Once upon a time, puffer jackets were shunned as ugly and unfashionable, stuck in the void between dad-approved practicality and the corporate sameness of city life. After weaselling its way onto fashion runways, the possibilities offered by the puffer jacket have become a beacon of creativity for the fashionably woke.
Who Invented the Puffer Jacket?
The iconic puffer jacket was ideated in Australia. George Finch, the illustrious mountaineer, chemist, and World War I veteran from Orange, NSW, was invited on Britain’s first Everest expedition in 1922. During this time, mountain climbing was the pursuit of gentlemen, and Finch faced staunch opposition as an outsider and as a rival to the favoured candidate, George Mallory.
At the base of the mountain, Finch’s “Eiderdown Coat” which he had made specially from hot air balloon fabric was ridiculed by the rest of the team who wore tweed for the climb. Bright green with a fur collar, Finch’s puffer jacket spurred jokes made at his expense. As the weather conditions worsened further up the mountain and Finch's jacket proved perfectly windproof, the jokes died down.
"They have contrived the most wonderful apparatus that will make you die of laughing."
- A note from Arthur Hinks, expedition secretary.
After Mallory failed to reach the summit in his tweeds and unassisted by oxygen, Finch was given his chance, reaching 8 360 metres - the highest anyone had made it before.
In 1924, the expedition troupe returned to Everest again, this time without extending an invitation to Finch. Mallory and his university student climbing partner were both last seen alive trekking high on the mountain, wearing their tweed.
Years later, Finch stood as advisor to Edmund Hillary for his climb to the peak of Everest in 1953. For the climb, New Zealand brand, Fairydown, reworked Finch’s jacket design into something closely resembling today’s puffer jackets.
Another version, arguably a less direct descendent of the modern puffer jacket, was designed and patented by Eddie Bauer in 1936 when the woollen clothes he was wearing on an expedition got wet and froze solid, causing him to barely escape with his life. Both of these origin stories have been instrumental in the modern developments of adventure gear that can quite literally save lives in treacherous wilderness conditions.
Europe Adds Flair to the Puffer Jacket
Puffer jackets have the Italian tick of approval thanks to the Paninari youth subculture in the 1980s. Named for their propensity to hangout at sandwich bars, the Paninari displayed their appreciation for the finer things in life outwardly, by driving luxury motor vehicles and cranking the volume on Duran Duran. Their love for brands saw them throwing on adventure gear including puffer jackets and mountain jackets with distinctly Italian flair.
On the surface, the styling was almost identical to the New York sensibility; jeans and Timberland boots with a puffer jacket. The main difference was that in Italy, the colours were brighter, the branding was heavier, and the bright blur of coloured ripstop was seen on the back of Vespas rather than the back seat of yellow cabs.
The Paninari presented an aspirational lifestyle modelled after what they thought was glamorous about America. Part of that was logos and adventure gear, perfect for exploring the vast American landscape. Another part of it was fast food joints, Reaganomics and the glamour of a fast-paced life – the polar opposite of Italy’s slow-living ethos.
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Puffer Jacket
The desire to emulate the American dream, turned into the desire to emulate European flair. Not only did this inspire other parts of the world to lust after the puffer jacket as a coveted wardrobe item, but it also opened up the imagination to new ways to style it. You no longer had to be a New Yorker to rock the puffer, you didn’t have to be Italian and scooting down a cobbled alley, panino in hand. You didn’t even need to be living in a particularly cold climate. The puffer jacket is for everyone.
Trending in Australia
Knowing that the puffer jacket was born out of the Australian imagination, it makes sense that it has come full circle from being a leading trend in Europe, to making its home on Australian shores.
From the adventure-ready The North Face, to the urban appropriate Article One and coastal chic Nude Lucy, puffer jackets have slotted into the Australian lifestyle and made it easier to keep warm no matter what your activity is for the day. Breezy wind tunnels and chilly early mornings don’t have to be the bane of your existence. Discover our range of women's puffer jackets and men's puffer jackets for an investment that will reap returns every winter.