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The bar for shopping recommendations is high at this point of the year. No one has the appetite – or the funds – for shopping for the sake of it in January. Don’t know about you but, frankly, I never want to see another nick-nack. And having overindulged throughout the festive season, I have the sparkle equivalent of a hangover. Just thinking about sequins makes me feel nauseous.
So, if I’m going to buy something, or suggest you do, at the dawn of the new year then it is with good reason. Investments in keeping your new year fitness resolutions are worth making because those are promises to yourself. Small treats are sometimes necessary to get you through the darkest days of winter. And, it’s never too early to look for the pieces that will shift your wardrobe into a 2025 vibe: the sooner you start wearing them, the more wear you get out of them. Here are my very best sober, no-sparkle January finds.
Say hello to the super scarf
Notgrove neckerchief
£64 at Gather&See
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but it rains a lot in the UK. Umbrellas are bulky and antisocial; coats with hoods are ugly or infantilising or both; hats mess your hair up. You know how some mathematicians spend their careers trying to puzzle out the answer to a knotty theorem? That is basically me, except instead of algebra the problem it’s my life’s work to solve is the issue of bedragglement. I’ve hit on a promising possible solution, in the form of the new generation of scarf-hood hybrids. I’m not convinced by those long scarves with a hood in the middle: effective, yes, but a little bit snaggletoothed soothsayer. Much more chic are triangle-shaped scarves, which look great shoulder-robed over your coat, and can be hoisted over your hair. No good in a downpour but handy in drizzle.
The Notgrove Neckerchief by Cotswold Knit is designed in the Cotswolds and knitted in Leicestershire. It comes in great colours. Do keep an eye on Gather&See for its excellent curation of small, well-priced sustainable brands.
Pre-loved cardigan
£35 at eBay
Your new layering formula for 2025 goes like this: start with a white T-shirt. (You have that already.) Add a simple button-through crew neck cardigan. (You have that already too, probably, but if not, try eBay or Depop for a pre-loved version. Pretty buttons are a good detail to narrow the search.) Do up all the cardigan’s buttons or leave the top one undone, depending on which works best with the two necklines. Add a blazer. Then add a pendant necklace, so it falls in a V-shape to echo the shape of your lapel. As cosy as a big jumper … for days when you’ve got places to go and people to see and a big jumper feels a bit sleepy-looking.
All-weather leggings
Walking leggings
£35 at Marks & Spencer
Athleisure is worth investing in if it can increase the probability of you engaging with the athleticism bit as well as the leisure. If I intend to exercise later in the day, I try, if possible, to get dressed in the morning with gym kit under other layers. It serves as a useful reminder of my good intentions, and by removing the friction of getting changed, takes away one possible excuse.
A sturdy pair of leggings feels more like proper clothes than the flimsy ones you wear in summer, and will make going for a winter run feel less daunting. Leggings are so often plastered in bright abstract graphics, for hanger appeal, but I’m never entirely convinced Jackson Pollock splashes are a good look for anyone’s bottom. I’d recommend a simple dark block colour so that they pass as regular clothes when worn with a coat and boots. M&S Goodmove Stormwear walking leggings, with useful pockets and available in olive or navy, are excellent.
Jeans to elevate jeans-and-a-jumper days
Tapered high jeans
£24.99 at H&M
Barrel-leg. Terrible, terrible name. Does anyone, anywhere, find “barrel” an aspirational aesthetic? No. But here’s the thing. Barrel-leg – and close cousin, the horseshoe leg – is actually the easiest-to-wear, most elegant style of loose-leg jean. A neat waist, volume at the upper leg and a slightly tapered ankle give a much cleaner line than a straight-up-and-down baggy jean. Switching to this silhouette will elevate jeans-and-a-jumper days, and give you a foundation for new looks come spring. H&M’s tapered high jeans are the right kind of denim: fairly rigid with just a hint of stretch, so they hold a shape without feeling too stiff.
An important hoodie klaxon
Corah organic hoodie
£120 (now £60) at CWT
You know those drawstrings that hang around your neck, when you wear a hoodie? They drive me insane, the scruffy way they flop about. For a while, I tied the strings in a bow, but it looked a bit twee. What I have realised is that the best hoodies simply don’t have drawstrings – or holes for drawstrings – in the hood. This looks so much neater! Eureka moment, which I am sharing with you. Something to look out for next time you buy a hoodie.
On that note, may I recommend the Corah hoodie, in organic cotton, now reduced to £60, by small, independent British manufacturer CWT. Knitted, dyed, cut and sewn within a six-mile radius. And no drawstring! Comes in great colours. And yes, OK, I spend way too much time thinking about the granular details of clothes, so that you don’t have to. You’re welcome.
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My beloved Sorel boots
Waterproof sneaker boots
£155 at Sorel
I am obsessed with my Sorel walking boots. They’re perfect for British weather: waterproof against rain and snow, but snug at the ankles to guard against puddles, and with a ridged sole to make them non-slip in January’s inevitable mud. Walking boots need to be hard-wearing but not heavy. These are so lightweight that you can wear them all day – also, fine for driving, which I find clompier boots aren’t. Just as important, from my point of view, they look great. Mine are years old; the Sorel Kinetic Impact Conquest Plus is the nearest equivalent on sale now. Hard recommend.
The invisible padded jacket
Puffer vest
£34.90 at Uniqlo
As with Harry Potter’s Cloak of Invisibility, but more magical, the best padded jacket of all is the one you can’t see. Give it up for the Uniqlo Puffertech compact vest – other versions are available, but this is the OG. Like wearing a hot-water bottle under your coat.
For more essential outerwear, read our best women’s waterproof jackets.
The new necklace length
Gemstone beaded necklace
£138 at Monica Vinader
The new piece you need to add to your neck mess is a longer-length necklace, without a pendant. You want one that sits over a crew neck sweater with a half moon of your top sitting between it and your throat. About 18-20 inches is perfect. Monica Vinader makes heavenly jewellery. If you fall in love with a piece but funds won’t stretch, try Vinted, which is a fertile hunting ground for MV pieces. I found this beautiful string of green onyx and gold vermeil beads for £45 (sadly, it went fast).
The cold weather V-neck
Neutral cashmere knit
£199 at Whistles
The vertical arrow of a V-neck creates a more elegant line than a crew neck. But draughts are not welcome in January. This Whistles cashmere knit is an absolute beauty, with a deep ribbed V that creates the arrow effect while keeping you cosy. Can we call it a wellness investment?
The short boxy jacket
Short wool blend jacket
£149 at Massimo Dutti
A prediction for 2025: the return of the boxy, collarless jacket. With a new designer, Chanel will be in the headlines and this style is shorthand for Coco. This short wool blend jacket by Massimo Dutti is one for the moodboard even if not the shopping list.
