Practicality and fashion aren’t obvious bedfellows, but let me introduce my latest obsession, which sits firmly in both camps: the duvet coat. Oversized, padded outerwear has been bubbling with the fashion pack for a while — revived last year by, among others, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney and Raf Simons — but I’ve always been a naysayer. My lone technical quilted jacket has been reserved for sporting endeavours (rare), trips to Iceland (one) and blizzard weather during New York fashion week in February (still reluctant, even then). It appears I’m on my own. According to the global fashion search platform Lyst, “puffer” is one of the top three most-searched-for coats on its site (along with check and furry), with a noticeable surge over fashion month, when the…

Source: The Times November 26, 2017 00:00 UTC