Men's Puffer Jacket "LEVEE" Jhane Barnes custom design

Jhane's Take on the Men’s Puffer Jackets

These are one of the best-selling items here, and I understand why — even though they’re also one of the most improbable.

Each jacket is printed and sewn in China, one at a time. I honestly don’t know how that works cost-wise. What I do know is that it’s obvious these are made by a single sample maker, not an assembly line. They remind me very much of our clothing samples from the past.

Samples are imperfect. They’re not factory-perfect, but they have something else instead: they look custom made, because they are. Every time I see one, that’s exactly what it feels like.

Some of the prints are all-over patterns, and many are engineered, which has been especially fun for me to design — very much like my early engineered digital shirts. Each piece is printed separately and cut out by hand, which is rare now and increasingly hard to justify economically.

With the recent tariffs, I’m honestly not sure how long these will continue to be offered. The price has gone up a bit, but not nearly as much as I would have expected given the labor involved.

The jackets themselves are lightweight and very soft to the touch, with a stand collar, quilted lining, and two side pockets. They’re polyester — like most puffer jackets — and comfortable enough to wear all day.

Sizing has been quite accurate relative to the measurements provided. If you plan to wear something bulky underneath, sizing up makes sense. That said, most customers who have exchanged sizes have actually asked for a smaller one.

I see these jackets every day — we all have one at the office — which is probably the strongest endorsement I can give. They’re practical, distinctive, and oddly personal for something made halfway around the world, one at a time.

That combination doesn’t come along very often.