Charlie Gowans- Eglinton The Passion Shopper

She proved that whip‑sharp political brilliance and fashion nous aren’t mutually exclusive

I was considering investing in a SAD lamp, but have yet to find one that wouldn’t look like a solar panel installed by the bed, so instead I’m trying dopamine dressing. This is, in a large part, inspired by Democratic congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, who has employed colour to great effect of late. While there is no science to suggest that sporting bright colours will lift the January gloom, I’m convinced that wearing black, navy and khaki for weeks on end only makes it worse.

Pelosi, who is 78, first entered the fashion consciousness in December when she wore a russet-red Max Mara funnel-neck coat to leave the White House after failing to compromise with Trump live on TV. Said coat, which is six years old, is now being reissued by the brand in myriad colours as a direct result of Pelosi’s sartorial coup d’état.

Then there was the fuchsia pink dress that she wore to be sworn in as speaker of the house; any bright colour would have made a statement, but to my mind pink – pink! – proved that whip-sharp political brilliance and fashion nous aren’t mutually exclusive (I’ll say it again for the people in the back).

I may not be waging the same wars as Nancy, but I’ll happily buy into the spirit: first, with this Topshop coat in a similar shade to hers, which would go well with black or navy, or layered over a multicoloured floral dress. I have yet to commit to a new winter coat this year, but the cold snap looms, and rust shades also look great with denim, so I can wear it week-round. I was a quick convert to Cefinn’s easy dresses, which can be machine-washed at 30C, so this tomato-red was a no-brainer. A pink skirt is further from my comfort zone, but A.W.A.K.E.’S iteration is a good length to wear with knee-high boots now and sandals in summer, and could be paired with a white shirt or carmine jumper.

If you need any extra persuasion, bear in mind that bright colours can also be brightening for your complexion – I’m practically translucent at this time of year, so I need all the help I can get. If you’re going to be wearing a shade close to your face then hold it up in a mirror (ideally in natural light) to see if it suits your skin tone.

There’s a shade of red to suit everyone, but if they aren’t your bag, & Other Stories has a cornflower blue blazer and Arket an A-line skirt and pair of wide-leg trousers in a lovely emerald green, any of which could help you #Bemorenancy.

A dose of Pelosi power colour to cut through the gloom