Master the art of JOMO* dressing
*joy of missing out!
PARTY SEASON HAS LIFT-OFF. Meaning, you could be out every night now until 1 January – if you wanted. But, really, why would you? The allure of staying in has become irresistibly tantalising, thanks to the unstoppable ascent of app culture (peak convenience) and the cultural flex of streaming services. Why would you tolerate tedious small talk during a night out when you could be at home watching The Morning Show on newly launched Apple TV+? Why risk navigating the night bus when you could drift off with an Urban Massage in your bedroom? Why waste time queuing at an overcrowded, overpriced bar when you could have Pasta Evangelists’ fresh truffle butter ravioli delivered not just to your door, but through your letterbox? There has never been a better time to lean into the Joy Of Missing Out.
But where we’re really feeling the JOMO this winter is in our wardrobes. Clothes worth staying in for are fighting for top billing thanks to a wave of lines built on the idea of lazy luxury. ‘Every summer I long for winter and the promise of months of being able to say no to plans,’ says the ex-fashion editor Charlotte Lewis. ‘I’m really not sure any new restaurant can top a night of binge watching TV or reading a book on my sofa with a candle burning, drinking wine and wearing cashmere.’ Indeed, she’s so dedicated to the cashmere cause that she founded her own brand, Ven, last year. If you’ve been good this year, make sure Santa knows you need the Ven tracksuit (and matching socks), which is so deliciously cosy you might actually get a case of FOGO (Fear Of Going Out).
The key to nailing JOMO dressing is the idea of loungewear that sparks joy: you want slouchy and snuggly, not sloppy and stained. Forget going out-out, we’re staying in, and doing it in style. Rosetta Getty is one of several designers leading the movement. ‘Comfort and luxury have played a key role in my design process since I launched my brand five years ago,’ she says of her eponymous line, which includes sheepskin
slides, hooded cashmere capes and cashmere pullovers, or essentially, as she says, ‘Beautiful clothing you’ll want to hibernate in!’
At Matchesfashion.com cashmere tracksuits and supersized hoodies from Jil Sander, Raey and Allude are going strong. ‘I think people crave comfort but still want to look chic – luxurious, cashmere knitwear is a way of doing that in a way that feels more elevated than a cotton tracksuit that you might wear to and from the gym,’ says senior buyer Chelsea Power. ‘It’s an elegant way to be comfortable’. Granted these pieces don’t come cheap – but just think of all the money you’ll save on taxis.
The ultimate in haute hibernation gear is, of course, sumptuous sleepwear. ‘When I started the brand I set out to make the world’s best pyjamas,’ says Olivia von Halle, whose silk PJS are a mainstay in every fashion editor’s wardrobe. She likes to wear hers after a hot bath with Jo Malone oils and a G&T. ‘It was and remains about putting real thought and effort into these often forgotten about pieces and trying to make them the best they can be.’ Testament to the rising relevance of this market, Emilia
Wickstead and Alexa Chung are the latest designers to launch their own sleepwear collections. ‘Winter is coming. Time to hibernate,’ says Alexa, who recently bingewatched Chernobyl (‘not one to be paired with delicious dinner’). She does admit, however, ‘It’s much easier to stay in if a) You have a partner and b) You’re over 30.’
But why has doing nothing become an event in itself ? Blame it on a world gone mad. Against a backdrop of political and social tumult, of fake news and real fears, we’ve developed an almost visceral hankering for comfort. We want to hibernate – and we want to feel and look good doing it.
We’re also busier than ever, so time is an indulgence – and time to yourself is the ultimate luxury. When you’re constantly connected, the wind-down of a decade feels soothing: do you really want to spend that time with people who’ve had too much mulled wine? ‘Hell is other people,’ wrote Jean-paul Sartre – for many of us that sentence is incomplete: ‘Hell is other people, drunk on a December dance floor.’
And finally, if you do want to embrace JOMO this season, allow us to suggest the ultimate investment: a luxury blanket such as an APC quilt, Loewe mohair throw or Tekla merino wool design. No control pants, clutch bags or coat required – in fact, no good reason we can think of worth going out at all. It’s time to make your excuses.