P.S. WINTER’S COMING: DOWN INSULATION / PTJ SUPPLIES CLOSET

To me, the down jacket is as essential in winter as a sleeping bag is when you go camping. That’s because it basically IS a sleeping bag, a sleeping bag for your waking life – the arms have been given freedom, or in the case of a gilet just cut out completely. That genius of of wearing your sleeping gear outdoors, is the kind of hit-and-miss greatness that comes with invention, the shopping channel being the biggest breeding ground for people who believe they can genius their way into history books with things like the Facial Flex (miss).

Coziness is one thing but don’t get me wrong, I’m a strong advocate for the anti-ugg-boots-and-sleepwear-outside-the-house policy. I understand that comfort is sometimes a very important thing, like in the case of long haul flights, but I still think you need to dignify your existence to the outside world by presenting yourself in a smart ensemble at all times. To be blunt, your outer appearance is the only thing strangers have to identify you with, and our most basic instincts are to judge character by looks (it sounds sad but is true, especially when you are mixed like me and in some countries looked down upon by strangers for the dumbest reason). There are many comfy options out there (like the graceful tailoring of Margaret Howell for example) that don’t involve velvet tracksuit material, or sheep lined house slippers, these interior and exterior boundaries need to be maintained, just as much as aspects of your personal life should maintain ‘personal’. To side track for a brief moment, somehow things like Instagram are an extension of the ‘personal’ to many of us, but this is the internet we’re talking about, and the internet is full of crazies you know? Maintaining boundaries are important.

So getting back on track to the subject of feather-stuffed jackets, what a luxury. What a necessity for people like me who prefer to be toasty warm in winter rather than the thought of baring some extra skin for the sake of [perhaps] cool-ness or something along those lines. A good classic down jacket is something that you will wear winter over winter, so picking the right one could mean that you’ll be wearing it for the rest of your life, literally. This is why I have taken the time to put together some of my favourites, some that I believe will never go out of style, and that you won’t get sick of looking at after just one season. This aspect of an investment piece should be important, because even if you are the wealthiest person in the world, it doesn’t mean that you should be throwing out your wardrobe after a few years. I like to believe in longevity and to ‘waste not, want not’ as priority in our existence.

THE DOWN JACKET /