..and your windproof layer should be highly breathable, but wind-tight, even in the cold. Goretex is breathable for a waterproof, but not for a windproof. If you dont need the rain protection, there are more comfortable materials.

There is one reason for using a padded jacket rather than a carefully tuned layering system, and that is if your riding takes you from cold outdoors to over-heated indoors, eg a shopping trip around town or to college; you can then shed all your insulation in one go. Otherwise, layers work out better and cheaper.