Geri Gowans, 62

Iknow that it’s always been the case that fashion reinvents every seven years or so, but it’s amazing in

2019 to see coat styles from the Sixties; dresses, trousers, and jeans from the Seventies and Eighties; and jumpers spun entirely from recycled waste that could only be from now.

I’ve been on the hunt for a new favourite jumper. There’s a plethora of knitwear this season of very mixed quality, and a whole range of styles. I started with the twinsets, turtle necks and V-necks. I’ve caressed a hundred cashmeres that felt thin and even a bit rough this year. I’ve unfolded and refolded shelves of jumpers that have great style, but no natural fibres. Meanwhile, I’ve found myself continually drawn to the knit dresses draped seductively on racks. I’ve always adored knit dresses and knit suits, and, when I was very thin, knit flares with matching polo necks. I had a fantastic gunmetal grey midi knit that, for more years than I can count, absolutely sang when I added big silver jewellery and suede boots. And now they are back!

I rejected viscose and polyesters, because I want it to breathe and not add to the planet’s landfill. It has to be snug, not stifling, so it just has to be wool – and wool with enough weight in it that it doesn’t sag. Then, when I have worn it to death, I can compost it. Jaeger has a beautifully cut red knit dress that is 100 per cent wool. It has a crew neck and fitted sleeves that flute at the wrist, with a subtle black stripe. At £135, it’s an investment and I can buy the navy one in the January sales. A knitted dress will work with most jackets, or layered under a long cardigan. It’s a blank canvas for the chunky jewellery and soft scarves that have been waiting since last winter – bliss!