The family have left, the bins are full of wrapping paper, and many bottles of booze appear to be empty.
Yes, Christmas Day is over and it’s time to relax – and this year I am recommending you do that in a tracksuit. Worry not, my sense of style has not been diminished by port and cheese.
I’m fully aware there’s nothing chic about a typical ‘tracksuit’ but once you preface it with the word cashmere it shifts to the other end of the sartorial spectrum.
So just how chic can it get? The pinnacle must surely be the Carmel tracksuit from the Queen of Loungewear, Olivia von Halle. This will set you back £1,495. Yes, you read that correctly (and, unsurprisingly, it isn’t featured above).
Cashmere specialists Chinti & Parker are not cheap, but their rich green boxy jumper and joggers (both now £147.50), are worth every penny. You’ll be hard pressed to find better quality or fit and the pieces look great worn as separates.
These twinsets are far too fabulous to be kept hidden away at home and can be surprisingly hardworking, both now and in the chilly months ahead.
Cotton-cashmere robe, now £110.50 and lounge set, now £127.50, johnlewis.com
Zip-neck jumper, £35.99 and wide-leg knit trousers, £29.99, stradivarius.com
Fuchsia crew-neck jumper, £95, and relaxed joggers, £95, Chinti & Parker at marksandspencer.com
I’ll be wearing Rise & Fall’s light grey round-neck sweatshirt and wide-leg trousers – teamed here with a crisp cotton shirt – and a fabulous pair of velvet flats to the local pub for ‘Twixmas’ drinks.
It’s 100 per cent A-grade Mongolian cashmere and fabulously luxurious. If you’re in the market for cold-weather accessories Rise & Fall also has cashmere wraps, hoods and bandanas.
If the muted hues are, well, too muted then check out the brands at Marks & Spencer, which has colours and prints aplenty.
This neon pink combo is 90 per cent wool and 10 per cent cashmere, with jumper and trousers coming in at £95 each. The store’s own Autograph design is a very wearable navy zip-front hooded jacket and joggers, £129 and £99.
If you’re after something a little more sophisticated, have a look at John Lewis’s offering which, in my view, is more glamorous than the rest.
They’ve put a twist on the ‘tracksuit’ by offering their set (wide-leg trousers with a tank, now £127.50) with a longline robe, now £110.50.
Grey shaker-stitch jumper, £45, and knit trousers, £45, gap.co.uk
Green boxy-jumper, £147.50 and wide-leg pants, £147.50, chintiandparker.com
Pure cashmere zip-up hoodie, £129, and tapered ankle joggers, £99, Autograph at marksandspencer.com
Grey crew-neck jumper, £128, and wide trousers, now £156, riseandfall.co
If you want to get the look at a fraction of the price then allow me to introduce you to Gap’s CashSoft range.
The super-soft cotton-blend shaker-stitch trousers, £45, and jumper, £45, are 53 per cent cotton, 47 per cent Nylon and 100 per cent machine washable.
Stradivarius’s knit trousers, £29.99 and zip-neck jumper, £35.99 (far left) give the look and feel of a natural yarn – only the price tells you otherwise.
Whichever you go for I can promise you comfort without compromising on style. I’m such a fan that I’d make them mandatory, for the next five days at least.
