I will never forget seeing one of my favorite stylists, Camilla Nickerson, bundled up onset at a Vogue photo shoot wearing a giant black The North Face Parka, skinny jeans tucked into socks and big lug sole boots, all black. The set was cold and she looked not only warm but cool. Cool and comfortable which now in my life is my clothing and style mantra. When you are styling onset, whether it be a drafty old house or outdoors in the snow, being comfortable enough to think clearly is so important. Camilla Nickerson, this particular stylist and at that time the Fashion Director of Vogue US, was a skinny woman in this oversized mens coat complete with the fur hood. She made it look so cool, in the ways that Demna would make this kind of parka cool at Balenciaga many years later. Up to this point, I had only seen The North Face on hip hop stars and cool kids of color who reveled in streetwear. Seeing it on one of my favorite stylists, made me want to bring it right into my wardrobe as well. Typically, I hated puffers. After living in NYC for so long, puffers always reminded me of the women commuters wearing ill fit and flair puffers that came down to their knees or lower in drab purple and pink colors. Or the European female tourists wearing a their thinner seamed and stuffed bright colored nipped in at the waist, shorter length sweater style down jackets. I hated these styles, it felt to me as the wearer didn’t care for any style at all, only utility. Back then I was far more rigid about what defined fashion and style, and turned my nose up at anyone who lacked it. Now I don’t judge anyone’s outfits unless I am being paid to, which allows me to overlook the people in the world who do not care about fashion or style.

As I see it now, The North Face is the “coolest” vibe in the Puffer/Down world. Their current ongoing collaboration with Gucci really cemented that fact. They are also doing a decent job of addressing the concerns of the younger generations with regulations around their down sourcing (no animals harmed while alive, etc.) and offering recycled down in many of their classic styles. It’s really the round, overstuffed puffy shape of The North Face down jackets and vests that make them the most streetwear cool of any of the down jackets out there. The Nupste 1996 jacket and vest are trending hard now and have been the past few years. And The North Face is doing a good job of releasing the 1996 Retro Nupste in cool color ways and prints. The Mens McMurdo Parka is the classic coat I saw on Camilla Nickerson all of those years ago and also treasured by the hip hop and street style elite. They have also made some cool additions to their fleece collections, also in nice colors and prints.

For me, when I moved to the freezing land of Wisconsin for my husband’s job, I knew I needed a good The North Face coat (or three) in my closet. If you are looking for maximum style and warmth, I recommend The North Face. Be sure to go a bit oversized in the fit, and choose a color that goes well with your already owned winter wardrobe. Their women’s selection is OK, but not great, don’t be scared to buy the mens coats! If you are going for warmth as the number one need, look for options with down fill of 700 or more. I also love their gloves and have a few pairs in my wardrobe for both walking and freezing temps. They are also making cool snowboarding gear in great colors. I live in their down slippers in the winter.

Urban Outfitters has a good selection of The North Face as does REI. But I always go to The North Face website to buy direct as I like to see all of the colors and prints available in one place while the other stores tend to pick and choose colors and prints. The Real Real also has a decent amount of The North Face, if secondhand clothing works for you.