JOANNE Watkinson
As I call out my children for leaving the lights on as they vacate a room, I like to remind them this isn’t Blackpool illuminations.
It’s one of the many ridiculous sayings I picked up from my dad, but one that has never been more used as we clamber to use less energy at home.
I’ve always been nesh. I also believed nesh was an actual word and not just one used by Northerners to describe being unusually susceptible to the cold.
I am an unusually cold person.
I wear a dressing gown 12 months of the year, not just in winter.
Layers season for me, is from September to June.
To catch me in anything sleeveless, there would need to be a hosepipe ban.
So I feel well placed to give advice on how to dress to stay warm at home without reaching for the thermostat.
I have a few rules about warm stay-at-home clothes. They must be in shapes I can move around in – they can’t be cumbersome and I don’t like novelty, so no slankets or Oodies.
I want to be able to leave the house wearing my cosy clothes without looking like I am sleep walking.
I have some specifics around fabrics too: nothing itchy and nothing that loses fibres, sorry mohair, I’m talking to you.
They don’t all have to be natural fibres. While I prefer them, I like a bit of stretch too and Mother Nature didn’t invent elastane so I’m open to compromise.
Cashmere is obviously the dream – it’s eight times warmer than its wool counterpart, and breathable. It’s a luxury fabric so comes with a luxury price tag. I checked out the high street options and Uniqlo and Marks & Spencer do great quality cashmere for around £80, while Me+em do beautiful cashmere for £150.
For layers that go next to the skin, they have to be super soft and for me, long sleeved.
Arket do a brilliant Lyocell version for £19, while Jigsaw’s Supima cotton long sleeve tee comes in seven colours and is £34, both are great sustainable fabrics that have a soft silky feel to them.
Socks are a must-have for keeping those tootsies warm, they are also a major style item right now and not to be hidden away. Visible socks are a thing with everything from your trainers to your kitten heels.
Caledonia do a cashmere mix for £8 while Rock & Ruby do the best range of sustainable socks for under £20.
Working from home never looked so good.