Vırginia Chadwyck-Healey What to wear to... stay grounded

Turning down the volume on your colour palette will keep you cosy and stylish

This week is for my mother-in-law. Not because I’m buttering her up pre-Christmas but because when I think of what I might give her for Christmas I have a vivid idea of it being something in the kinds of colours I’ve combined here. Tobacco, army green, dusty pink, lilac … the muted palette is the subject of the day.

It’s a heartwarming combination of colours that are grounded yet fall on the right side of safe, not boring, and feel undoubtedly stylish.

These colour juxtapositions have also been made de rigueur by interiors gurus such as Farrow & Ball and Edward Bulmer because we’ve all had far too long staring at our interiors lately, thus leaving us with ample time to study the colour cards of these trailblazers and think up ways to update our homes. Names such as Sap Green and London Brown are now ubiquitous in our catchups with friends. For the fashion equivalent I’ve turned to the brand Poetry.

You all know Poetry, you just don’t know you know it. A hidden gem behind Peter Jones at Sloane Square, it’s the kind of brand that has somehow discovered my address and sent me catalogues that I’m actually pleased to see. Think cashmere wraps, shawl-collar cardigans and a sprinkling of patterned garments, all set against a backdrop of cornfields and pebble beaches. All very hygge – just add eggnog.

As a family-run business there’s an innate understanding of working as a team, and fulfilling customer expectations with a personal touch. Luke Dashper, founder and creative director, is clear: “Our direction comes from a consideration of three sources: what is going on in fashion and the wider world of art and culture, what our customers want… and our own aesthetic in terms of fabric, colour and style.” It’s this aesthetic that caught my eye on a recent jaunt to London when I set a challenge for myself. I decided I would write about the first store that felt welcoming, functional and flattering to a wide-ranging audience. This was the winner.

Poetry must be one of the most sustainable fashion brands around. More than 99 per cent of the fibres used to make the clothes are natural and, therefore, renewable and biodegradable. And