Snuggle up
Knitwear to get cosy in
Cosy knitwear in calming colours is just the ticket for hiding in plain sight this month I like a calm colour come midwinter, nothing too hard on pasty, dry skin, and equally inoffensive for those days when you can’t make your mind up
Iknow, it’s the second of January and no one wants to go shopping or spend any money and here I am writing a fashion column encouraging those options. Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas? Perhaps you have a pile of gifts waiting to be returned to their retail origins, and a golden ticket waiting for you to choose something chic with.
I’ll offer you a glimpse behind the velvet curtain, while there are still sales raging (feel free to look, but by this point we are getting down to the dregs)… I can’t feature them here as yesterday was a bank holiday (yes, I was at home) and we can’t be sure it won’t have sold out before you get to it, by which point you’ll have your biro out writing me a letter castigating the newspaper for offering ideas that are impossible to realise. It’s not always an easy gig this. Do you think I want to be the person imploring you to buy more and spend more on the second day of the year, when you’re possibly still running your hands over your temples from too many gins the night before the night before?
So what I’ve come up with is this: clothes to hide in. I could have gone for gym wear – “new year, new you” and all that – but I’m not sure any of us would be interested. Cosy, soft, easy-to-wear items that you can snuggle up in and feel somewhat close to being in bed – now, that’s lovely. For me, for my January, that’s the holy grail (TBH, I’ll take it any month of the year).
In that vein, I’d advocate something with a hood. It doesn’t have to be cashmere because wool mixes are often more than enough. These two soft, snugly ones here have the added benefit of not making you look like you’re going to mug anyone. I like a calm colour come midwinter, nothing too hard on pasty, dry skin, and equally inoffensive for those days when you can’t make your mind up – a noncolour colour that goes with everything is a salve.
The dungarees might have thrown you, I understand, but do offer a natty soupçon of Barbara Good, perhaps if she’d gone to Central Saint Martins – note the pearl detail. But dungarees (which are moving sharply into comeback territory) offer a simple, pulled together outfit
in one slouchy-fit pull-on move. I’ve been wearing my merino wool Allbirds non-stop since October-ish. If you’re keen to wear a shoe that feels like a slipper but looks like acceptable out-of-house attire, I implore you to get a pair.
Lastly, this coat. Is it a bit colourful? I mean, it is a little, but I saw it and it spoke to me. Do you know what it said? “It might only be the beginning of January, but spring is but a skip, two colds, several frosts and a Brexit deal away.” Chin up.