Leather Puffer Jackets and Gilets: A Buyer's Guide

A leather puffer jacket gives you the shape and ease of a quilted jacket with the weight, wind resistance and presence of leather. Choose lambskin for softness, cowhide for structure and a grainier surface, and suede for a matte, tactile finish. Choose a cropped jacket for everyday, a long puffer coat for the coldest days and a gilet for layering over knitwear or under a coat.

The nylon puffer is one of the most practical garments ever made and one of the least distinguished. Everyone owns one, and they all look alike. Leather changes that. The channel quilting stays, the comfort stays, but the surface has depth and the jacket ages rather than wears out. It is a winter coat that can be worn to dinner. The pieces below come from the Christopher Noir Casual Outerwear and Leather Gilets collections.

Which leather puffer should you choose?

Lambskin, cowhide or suede: what is the difference?

• Lambskin is fine-grained, soft and light. It drapes and moves from the first wear.
• Cowhide is thicker and firmer, with a more visible grain. It holds a shape and resists knocks.
• Suede is brushed to a soft nap with no shine. It looks warmer and more casual, and prefers dry weather.

For a fuller comparison, read Lambskin or Cowhide?

1. The lambskin puffer: is it the one to start with?

For most people, yes. Lambskin gives a quilted jacket a suppleness that makes it feel like clothing rather than equipment. The Noir Cairngorm is a cropped black lambskin puffer with horizontal channel quilting, a stand collar in hand-woven leather, a two-way front zip with a contrast-edged placket, vertical side-entry pockets and neat banded cuffs. The fit is cropped and relaxed through the body.

2. The cowhide puffer: who is it for?

For the man who wants a harder-wearing surface and a neck that closes against the weather. The Noir Nevis is a pebble-grain cowhide puffer with a high funnel neck that zips to the chin, horizontal channel quilting, side-entry welt pockets and a tonal zip running the full length of the front, in a regular fit.

3. The suede puffer: how do you wear it?

As the softer, daytime option. Suede in a tobacco tone sits naturally with denim, cream knitwear, olive and brown. The Noir Affric is a tobacco suede puffer with a stand collar, four clasp fastenings over a front zip, horizontal channel quilting and a soft, brushed surface. The clasps give it a detail that a plain zip front does not have.

4. When do you need a long puffer coat?

When the cold is serious or the outfit underneath is long. A mid-thigh puffer covers a suit jacket and sits well over a kaftan. The Noir Moray is a mid-length black leather puffer coat with a yoke in alligator-embossed leather, a shearling spread collar, a two-way front zip with a ribbed placket edge and channel quilting throughout. The embossed yoke is leather pressed with the pattern, not exotic skin.

5. Why choose a puffer gilet instead of a jacket?

For range. A gilet warms the core and leaves the arms free, so it works across more of the year and layers in both directions: over a hoodie or knit on a mild day, under an overcoat on a cold one. The Noir Arran is a black lambskin puffer gilet with a high stand collar lined in shearling, shearling edging at the armholes, a two-way front zip and side-entry welt pockets. It is cut for layering.

6. What is the signature gilet?

The house version. The Noir Barra is a leather puffer gilet with a stand collar that zips to the chin, a gold-tone two-way front zip, two zipped hand pockets and the Christopher Noir script in white across the chest. It is a unisex cut, offered in black and cognac.

How should a leather puffer fit?

1. Room for a knit underneath, without the zip straining.
2. Shoulder seams at or just beyond the shoulder bone.
3. A cropped jacket ends at the waistband. A gilet ends at the hip.
4. Sleeves reach the wrist bone with arms forward.

Frequently asked questions

What sizes are available?

All six pieces run from XS to 2XL. Each product page advises taking your usual size.

How do you clean a leather puffer?

Professional leather care only. Do not machine wash. Wipe marks with a soft, dry cloth.

Can a puffer gilet be worn smartly?

Yes. Over a fine knit with wool trousers it is a clean alternative to a jacket. See The Leather Gilet, Reconsidered.

Which should I buy first, jacket or gilet?

If you need one winter coat, the jacket. If you already own a coat, the gilet will get more wear.