You want the best. And heck, you deserve the best. But there's a lot of choice out there, and sometimes the best is hard to find. Fortunately, we know where to find it. Every week, the Esquire editors reveal their favourite brands, from under-the-radar steals to luxury loves, so you can invest in the best clothes, watches and accessories that money can buy.
This week, the coats purpose-built for the cold snap: puffer jackets.
Columbia
Murray Clark, Digital Style Editor
"I was always all in for The North Face. Nothing could come close. But, like the purrs of the top-knotted yoga instructor on my laptop screen, I had to open my mind. So I tried out Columbia. And I'm very, very happy that I did.
"In addition to the really Duke of Edinburgh stuff that's purpose-built for actual hiking, the sportswear outfit has amassed a fandom thanks to outdoorswear that's a little brighter, and a little more current, and perhaps better-used beyond a bridleway in Cockermouth. So I opted for a puffer jacket in blue and purple (we'll have no monochromes in this miserable winter, thank you very much), and I'm pleased to say, like a mad Olivia Colman in an absurdist period drama, I have a new favourite. Or a second favourite. Who knows man, I'm a fickle boy."
66 North
Charlie Teasdale, Style Director
"Icelandic brand 66 North is kind of the unofficial outfitter for the country, as will become clear if you ever visit Reykjavík, which I did a few years ago. Everyone is wearing 66 North kit, as they have been for almost a century when the company was founded.
"Traditionally, 66 North made serious foul weather gear for Icelandic fisherman, and then started outfitting the national coast guard, too. Now, its kit is super technical and reliable and designed so that you can wear it in the city, which is what I tend do. My down jacket has been my winter go-to for years now, and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough."
Moncler
Dan Choppen, Fashion Assistant
"People have their opinions on puffer jackets. However, many have their critiques without actually owning one – they are misunderstood. If you get the fit and style bang-on, then your mind will be changed. In the colder months they are essential. Yes, they work well when one is sipping on a freshly-poured Edelweiss after a long, hard days ski on the resort slops. But they also work beyond Chamonix.
"Moncler originally designed garments for these very slopes, and its collections are bold and exciting but with enough variety to cater to subtler tastes. Like this garment-dyed quilted shell down jacket in a faded soft pink. Perfect for when all your other jackets just won’t cut the mustard (or the snow)."
Descente Allterrain
Finlay Renwick, Deputy Style Editor
SHOP
"Until recently I had never been much of a down jacket man, preferring to live out my winters in perfect, freezing, overcoat-clad bliss. I had always seen puffers as a bulky, unnecessary bit of outerwear, but then I discovered Descente Allterrain and its Mizusawa jacket.
"Made in Japan with the kind of detailing that has made the country a Shangri-La of attention-to-detail menswear, it has thermal-bonded quilting and hermetic seams, meaning a jacket that is as warm and waterproof as can be. There are zips and pockets exactly where there should be zips and pockets. During the design process, Descente creates special 3D patterns to ensure total ease of movement. It’s like wearing a nice, warm, tailored sleeping bag, but one that looks really good and makes you feel like you could do a little day on Mount Hotaka (that’s a mountain… in Japan) if you fancied it."
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