I’M CAPPING OFF 2020
MY expenditure on clothes this year was dramatically lower than any other year since I got my first store card at the tender age of 18.
With no holidays or birthday nights out to plan for, I had no need to buy anything. There was a slight flurry of activity around the end of July when the bars and hairdressers opened but other than that, no impulse purchases, no weekly scouring the ‘new-in’ section of Zara’s website and I must be the only person who didn’t buy into loungewear.
The casual section of my wardrobe certainly increased out of necessity – more hoodies and leggings – but I didn’t buy anything that resembled a tracksuit/pyjamas hybrid specifically for indoor wear.
I did experiment with cashmere track pants but the lack of stretch meant the knees resembled clown pants after half an hour. They now languish at the bottom of the ironing pile, filed under “not worth the effort”.
My best buy of the year has to be a quilted coat. My hoodies fit under it perfectly and I layer it over a gilet for extra warmth. It isn’t that I have gone off clothes, or shopping, it would take more than a global pandemic to wipe out that habit, I just don’t feel the need to consume as much and the things I do buy, I wear more frequently.
Crew neck sweatshirts have been upgraded to evening wear – sequin trousers and a sweatshirt is my new go-to look – while hoodies look as good with leather trousers as they do with matching track pants.
I have been playing about with accessories, they can make even the slouchiest outfit into a “look”. If like me your yuletide is low key and winter walks are the new going out – then a cap is the accessory you need. I love a beanie, they are a cosy winter essential especially on bad hair days, but caps are my new must-have. While I can look a bit like the lost member of East 17 in my uniform of long coat over a tracksuit and a beanie, a cap is the perfect accessory. Top tip, avoid red unless Donald Trump is your style icon, and trucker caps unless you’re Victoria Beckham.