Over the last few years, we’ve noticed something rather odd happening each summer: An unassuming Free People puffer sells out like hotcakes. We repeat: a puffer jacket, over the summer, a puffer jacket. The quilted nylon layer in question is The Pippa Packable Puffer Jacket, £188, now available in 26 colours, from earthy neutrals to vivid brights, and in sizes XS to XL (that’s a UK 4 to 18). As the name suggests, it’s designed to pack inside itself (into a large inner-zippered left pocket, to be exact). It’s spawned such a fanbase that there are Reddit threads dedicated to it, as well as an endless amount of TikTok unboxings and try-on videos. It’s one of the top-rated items on the Free People site (currently it has a 4.6 out of 5-star rating and 488 reviews), and now has its very own, rapidly growing family tree including pullover, vest, shine, colour block and glossy iterations.
