lightweight down jacket women's:The Ultra Thin Down: Stylish But Hardly Warm For A Cold Winter’s Night

If you live any where in the world where you have four seasons and one of those seasons includes winter, you know the temperatures drop down to levels that’s downright freezing. The coming of winter makes people feel more inclined to want to stay in, snuggle up under the covers, and maybe read a book as you sip a steaming mug of hot cocoa or tea. But for those who do have to step out into the biting cold, you need to dress warmly and that usually means sporting a winter jacket. Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more people shirking the bulky and puffy down jackets for the super sleek, ultra thin down jackets.

I personally love wearing a beautiful jacket when the temperatures become cooler. It acts as an accent or compliment to what I’m currently wearing, while keeping me warm at the same time. Despite being more of a jacket wearing person, I’m not a fan of winter or having to wear puffier jackets. I often feel like I’m a walking bed comforter or marshmallow whenever I wear these jackets. Despite what I feel about these winter jackets, I’ll wear them if it keeps me warm. I like being able to walk around on a cold winter’s day or night without feeling like I’m going to freeze my little butt off. A lot of these jackets may not be as flattering on your figure, but I’m willing to sacrifice looking super cute during the winter, instead of wearing a jacket that’s more flattering on my frame but does nothing to ward off the cold.

Uniqlo's Ultra Light Jacket

Uniqlo’s Ultra Light Jacket

When department stores started carrying a solution to the “marshmallow effect” in winter jackets by selling what has been dubbed the “ultra thin down” or the “packable down,” it sounded like something I really needed. These jackets are certainly not as puffy as your average winter jacket and they look much nicer on the body. There’s only one problem with this jacket––it’s not warm.

I bought one of these ultra light and packable down jackets from Uniqlo a few months ago. The description on the tag claimed that it’s a slimmer fit jacket and is stuffed with the warmest down feathers you’ll ever find. Wearing this jacket in the winter is supposed to keep you warm no matter what winter activity you may be doing. If you’re traveling to a place where it’s cold, you can take it with you on the go with their handy little pouch that will take up less space in your suitcase or carry on bag.

Sure, this winter jacket is a little shapeless but at least this one will keep me warm.

Sure, this winter jacket is a little shapeless but at least this one will keep me warm.

The ultra thin jacket does avoid the walking comforter problem and it’s convenient for packing if you’re on the go, but this jacket isn’t as warm as it claims to be. Not by itself anyway. An ultra thin jacket means less stuffing and feathers. The less you have, the less warm your jacket will be. There’s a reason why winter jackets are as puffy as they are––all the feathers stuffed into one jacket is doing the job it’s meant to do which is to keep a body warm. I can wear a light long sleeved or short sleeved top underneath my puffy jacket and still feel warm in 20 degree weather. Can I do that with my stylish Uniqlo ultra thin down? Nope, not at all.

Unless the cold hardly bothers you, the ultra thin down jacket requires you to layer up and a lot! One or two layers underneath the ultra thin down isn’t enough. I would guess you would need at least three or four layers to be able to wear just this jacket alone. I haven’t tested this theory out myself and I doubt I will because I hate feeling really cold when I’m outside. This is why I thrive better under fall or spring like temperatures. Too bad those seasons tend to be the shortest of the four.

The ultra thin down may be a popular sell in just about any department store I walk into, but it’s hardly a reliable winter jacket for those cold days in the middle of January. I need a jacket with more heft and enough feathers to keep me warm on those walks around the city. I’ll take looking like a petite marshmallow during the wintertime over looking cute and having a flattering figure in my ultra thin winter jacket. There’s only a few more months left of winter. I’ll get my chance to wear my pea coats and biker jackets then, and it’ll be glorious.