Puffer Vests and Gilets for Women: Down, Cashmere and Faux Fur Styles to Layer This Winter

A puffer vest, called a gilet in the UK, is a sleeveless insulated layer that keeps your core warm while leaving your arms free, which is why it works as well under a ski shell as it does over a knit in town. For winter 2026/27 the most interesting versions come from ski labels, led by Perfect Moment and its Merino Wool and Cashmere Down Gilet in Black, a knitted gilet with a down fill. You will find every style below in our women’s jackets edit. To match a brown gilet with a jacket, see our edit of brown puffer jackets.

Puffer Vest vs Gilet: Same Thing, Different Word

There is no technical difference. “Gilet” is the British and European word, “puffer vest” and “down vest” are the American, Canadian and Australian ones, and in the UK a “vest” is an undershirt, which is why British shoppers search for gilets. Strictly, a gilet can also be unpadded, a knitted and tailored sleeveless layer, so this guide covers both: down-filled puffer vests and the knitted and faux fur gilets that sit alongside them.

The Perfect Moment Gilet Edit

Merino Wool and Cashmere Down Gilet

This is the unusual one. The outer is a soft knit, 90% ultrafine merino wool and 10% cashmere, and inside is 700-fill-power RDS-certified duck down. The brand also cites RWS-certified wool and GCS-certified cashmere. Details include a zip front, a funnel neck and an adjustable toggle hem. It reads as knitwear from a distance, so it is the gilet to wear over a shirt in the city, and it comes in Black, Blush, Cloud Blue and Nature White. The care label says lay flat to dry and dry clean, so treat it like a good sweater.

Chevron Down Gilet

The Chevron Down Gilet in Black is the classic puffer vest in the range: cropped, slightly oversized, matte black and fully water resistant, with a drawstring hem, a chin guard and 750-fill-power Allied RDS down. It is made in Italy from a GRS-certified recycled Italian fabric. Perfect Moment suggests it over sweatshirts and knits, and under an overcoat, which is the smartest way to add warmth to a wool coat without bulk in the sleeves.

Celia Faux Fur Down Gilet

The Celia Faux Fur Down Gilet in Snow White is the apres piece: a faux fur outer, a cosy hood and 700-fill-power down (80% duck down, 20% feather) inside. It is also made in Brown. Because it is down-filled, it is much warmer than a standard faux fur vest. For more faux fur, see our faux fur jackets and coats edit.

Merino Wool Racer Gilet

Not a puffer at all. The Merino Wool Racer Gilet in Red is a fitted, sleeveless knit in 100% merino wool, with a mock neck, rib-knit collar and hem and graphic panelling inspired by 1980s ski racing. Wear it over a base layer on a sunny spring day, and over a white shirt in town.

Peer Puffer Vests Worth Knowing

Moose Knuckles’ Everest Down Puffer Vest in Black is a sleek, hip-length down vest in 100% nylon with a removable, wide faux fur spread collar, so you get two looks from one piece. Mackage’s Stefania Diamond Quilted Down Vest in Black is fitted, with diamond quilting and a stretch shell of 82% recycled nylon and 18% elastane, and it is the neatest under a coat. Bogner’s Milly Lightweight Down Vest in Black is a loose-fit quilted down vest with a padded stand-up collar, press studs and a water-repellent finish. Max Mara’s Tregic Diamond-Quilted Padded Gilet in Black is the tailored city option from a coat house. More from these labels sits on the Moose Knuckles, Mackage and Bogner brand pages.

Is a Gilet Warm Enough to Ski In?

On its own, only on mild spring days. A down gilet keeps your core warm, but your arms are exposed to wind and snow, and most fashion gilets are water resistant at best. In mid-winter the gilet belongs under a waterproof shell as the mid layer, over a thermal base layer. That combination is often warmer and more flexible than one heavy jacket, because you can unzip the shell at lunch and still look finished. Late in the season, with sun and soft snow, a gilet over a merino base layer and a ski sweater is a classic spring-skiing look. For the base layer itself, see our guide to women’s ski base layers, and our ski layering guide shows where a gilet fits in a full mountain outfit.

How to Style a Puffer Vest: Five Outfit Formulas

1. The slope layer

Thermal base layer, a down gilet, a waterproof ski jacket on top and a flared ski pant. Take the jacket off on the terrace and the gilet carries the look.

2. The spring ski day

A fitted merino knit gilet over a roll-neck base layer, with a slim ski pant and sunglasses. It suits March and April, when a full jacket is too hot.

3. The city coat hack

A cropped black down gilet under a long wool coat. It adds real warmth on a cold morning in London, Zurich and New York without filling the sleeves.

4. The knit-on-knit

The Merino Wool and Cashmere Down Gilet over a fine sweater in the same colour, with straight trousers and loafers. It looks like a single, quiet outfit.

5. The apres gilet

A faux fur down gilet over a chunky ski sweater, black flared trousers and snow boots. See our apres-ski outfit guide for more combinations.

What to Look for in a Puffer Vest

• Fill and fill power. Down is warmer for its weight than synthetic fill. Fill power measures loft: 700 and 750 are high figures for a fashion piece. Our down jacket buying guide explains the numbers.
• Length. Cropped gilets suit high-waist trousers and ski pants. Hip-length vests are warmer and more practical for daily wear.
• Collar. A high collar and chin guard block wind. A funnel neck looks smarter in town.
• Care. Knit and faux fur gilets usually need dry cleaning. Nylon down vests are easier to look after: see how to wash a down jacket.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a puffer vest and a gilet?

They are the same garment with different names. “Gilet” is the British and European term, while “puffer vest” and “down vest” are used in the US, Canada and Australia. A gilet can also describe an unpadded knitted sleeveless layer.

Is a gilet warm enough to ski in?

Only on mild spring days. In mid-winter a down gilet works best as a mid layer under a waterproof shell, over a thermal base layer. That keeps your core warm while the shell handles wind and snow.

How should a puffer vest fit?

It should close comfortably over the layer you plan to wear underneath, usually a knit, without pulling at the zip. If you want to wear it under a ski jacket, choose a fitted style. Cropped and oversized cuts are designed to sit over sweaters and look best with high-waist trousers.

Are Perfect Moment gilets made with real down?

Yes, the down gilets use duck down. The Merino Wool and Cashmere Down Gilet has 700-fill-power RDS-certified duck down, the Chevron Down Gilet has 750-fill-power Allied RDS down and the Celia Faux Fur Down Gilet has 700-fill-power down. The Merino Wool Racer Gilet is a knit with no down.

How do you style a puffer vest in winter?

Wear it over a fine knit with straight trousers, under a long wool coat for extra warmth, and over a ski sweater for apres. Match the gilet colour to your knit for a quieter look. A cropped vest works best with high-waist trousers and flared ski pants.