Puffed-up belted down a better fit at sale prices

I could blame it all on Junior, but really, it’s nobody’s fault but mine.

For months I’ve been obsessed with puffer jackets – the hooded, often fur-trimmed down parkas everyone and their sister (MY sister) seems to be wearing. ShopGirl Jr. got one from L.L. Bean for Christmas, and I’ve been a little jealous ever since.

It’s not like she got the last one, although Bean’s longer version is sold out in black. In other stores, there’s more than enough puffy goodness to go around. It’s just that, as usual, I’m waiting for them to go on sale.

There’s something appealing about this new breed of down. It has a tailored, streamlined and surprisingly flattering fit, and it’s warmer than a toaster oven, to boot. Finally, we don’t have to sacrifice style for comfort.

That said, some of the styles just don’t do it for me. The shiny black puffers remind me of down-filled garbage bags. If the fit isn’t spot-on, the longer parkas bear a striking resemblance to sleeping bags. Put on the hood for full mummy effect.

In a perfect world, I’d comb the racks and magically discover one North Face 550 Down Arctic Parka, belted, in my size, for, say, $20. But this is not a perfect world, and the cheapest I could find was $90 on eBay. Drat.

Marshalls had a great selection of puffers and not-so-puffers. My fave was the sleek, fur-trimmed Via Spiga jacket, but the price tag just didn’t scream “clearance” to me. Ditto for the Kenneth Cole. And T.J.s seemed to be flat out of my size, save for a cropped bomber that seemed utterly impractical.

Gap had a puffer vest, but I want full coverage. Charlotte Russe has outerwear for 50 percent off, but that brings us back to the shiny fabric debate.

A recent article in the New York Times might have convinced me to trade in black for a brilliant hue, and the bang-up selection at Marden’s made color all the more tempting. During a visit last week, spurred by a tip that the Brewer store had Lilly Pulitzer shift dresses for $6 (I bought one and may go back for a second), I found the equivalent of puffer Nirvana.

There were sporty quilted jackets and puffy silver midlength coats, down-filled wonders in almost every shade of the rainbow. I couldn’t decide. And then I spotted it: a lone, black, ankle-length parka by Harve Benard, trimmed with faux fur and cut in a suitably slimming style. Even better? The price: $39.99. I was sold. So was Junior – if her jacket was a steal at $89, this was highway robbery.

I couldn’t wait to bring it back to the office to show my girlfriends. There I stood, about to start calling myself Puff Mommy (which I would later change to P. Mimmy), when my friend Jeanne saw my find.

While shopping with her hip teenage daughters, Jeanne spotted skinny, fur-trimmed puffers at Urban Behavior. For $19.99.

My puffed-up pride deflated. But I guess that’s what I get for bragging.