TAKE A SOFTLY, SOFTLY APPROACH TO LOUNGING
JANUARY CAN BE A CRUEL MONTH. It’s freezing and the promise of warmer temperatures or even a holiday seem far away. The office feels glum and to top it all off payday is still out of sight. Fashion-wise we’re all in limbo between seasons, with no plans to make any savvy sartorial decisions. The prospect of throwing on heels and going out for a bottle of wine is tempting, of course, but it doesn’t exactly harmonise with new year intentions. Designers are all humming about their cruise collections when in reality all that is left on rails are dodgy sequinned numbers and the unwanted dregs from last year’s winter collections.
Admittedly it’s the only time of year that doesn’t leave a fashion writer with a wealth of sartorial angles. I could suggest indulging in new trends on the horizon but who in their right mind wants to be bombarded with next season’s slinky incarnations when the weather is Baltic and they have a credit card bill to pay? I’ve come to the conclusion that the only clothes to get us all through the next few weeks are the soft ones. You know, the cosy luxe pyjamas gifted to you by a kindly aunt, the ones you tuck away for special occasions but wouldn’t dream of wearing while on the couch on a normal evening, in case you spill gravy on them. Or the cashmere hoodies and knitted loungewear in elegant neutral tones that you usually keep for Sunday lunch when your girlfriends pop over.
Now is a perfectly appropriate time to curl up in these and ditch your old, bobbly everyday jumper and PJs.
We can thank a dynamic generation of designers like Victoria Beckham, Olivia Von Halle and Esra Bezek Dikencik of Cashmere In Love for injecting their collections with chic loungewear pieces like these, served in imaginative cuts and contemporary fabrics. Beckham has put her signature mark on the classic crewneck in sumptuously soft cashmere and last season she embraced the cashmere hoodie that she slung over pleated midi skirts – very VB. London-based Von Halle is also inspiring other labels with her refined take on loungewear – her twinset tracksuit blends heritage knitting with pure silk cashmere in modern shapes. I also love Irish designer Zoe Jordan’s cool, edgy cut-out cashmere sweaters, which are perfect Netflix-binging material.
On the high street, Marks & Spencer always stocks a good selection of polished loungewear and I love &Other Stories’ mock neck jumpers – their colour-block varsity styles are quirky but still deliver cosy stay-athome comfort. Whistles’ drapey mohair wrap knits are perfect for layering over silky pyjama bottoms or joggers and COS is the place to rummage for cool architectural shapes in chunkier rib knits. Just remember, you’re going for a sense of luxe ease – anything to make staying in, the new going out. At least for January.
“THE ONLY CLOTHES TO GET US ALL THROUGH THE NEXT FEW WEEKS ARE THE SOFT ONES”