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Let’s get real. Few of us look or feel at our most fabulous in February. It’s been cold and dark for, what, 18 months? Feels like it. Getting dressed feels less stylish self-expression than huddling for warmth.
But there are reasons to be cheerful – or, more to the point, things that can bring you cheer. There is Valentine’s Day. (I will never understand why people like to sneer about Valentine’s Day. A daft festival of joy in the bleakest moment of the calendar. Take the win!) I’ve also found a shirt that will be your new favourite layering piece. And a very fun jumper for £54. Read on for the lowdown.
This is the only Valentine’s Day gift you ever need
Charbonnel et Walker
Red velvet heart chocolate truffles
from £19.99
Charbonnel et Walker red velvet heart chocolate truffles
When it comes to Valentine’s Day, there is bad cheesy – a single red rose is a hard no, a teddy bear an even harder one – and there is good cheesy. Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, like classic 90s romcoms, are good cheesy. This is the love token of champions.
Charbonnel et Walker
Red velvet heart chocolate truffles
from £19.99
I am a big fan of a shirt with a jewelled collar
Boden
Sienna shirt with jewel collar
£85
Sienna shirt with jewel collar
This sounds niche, but hear me out. Years ago – a decade at least – I bought a classic blue cotton button-down shirt from J Crew, with rhinestone beads embroidered on the collar. One of those purchases that feels whimsical but turns out to be an unexpected wardrobe staple. I still wear it all the time, because it hits a sweet spot of being special without being fussy, and it layers brilliantly under crew-neck sweaters or knit vests. I spotted this Boden version at their recent press day: it’s great.
Boden
Sienna shirt with jewel collar
£85
Magic mushrooms
Superoom
Lion’s mane liquid formula
from £39.99
Superoom lion’s mane liquid formula
Not that sort. Functional mushrooms are the latest niche wellness craze to go mainstream, with lion’s mane coffee the new kale juice. The mushroom market is a bit of a wild west – Instagram keeps trying to sell me Chinese imports of dubious origin and efficacy – but I’ve tried Superoom for six weeks (lion’s mane for focus, reishi for sleep) and I think it’s helping. Superoom tinctures are clinically tested, using mushrooms organically grown in Finland. The bottles are beautiful, which I know isn’t the point, but also sort of is, because they’re pretty enough to put on display, meaning I actually remember to take them.
Superoom
Lion’s mane liquid formula
from £39.99
Mercules, the Spanish handbag label you need to know about
Foxy bag
Because the world is insane, there are lots of glorious handbags if you have a grand or more to spend, and endless cheap-as-chips high-street knock-offs built to last about two weeks, but it’s frustratingly hard to find anything in between. This is why it’s worth knowing about Mercules. Helmed by an ex-Loewe designer and made in Spain from quality leather, these bags are minimal, properly made, sensibly priced. My favourite is the Foxy, which comes in a pleasing mid size with two straps (one for shoulder carrying, one cross body), detachable via sleek carabiner clips. All colours except black are currently reduced from £190 to £140 – the “tile”, a rich terracotta, is fab.
Mercules
Foxy bag
£140
A jumper to cheer you up
Next
Landscape scene zip cardigan
£54
Landscape scene zip cardigan
I’m going to be straight with you, as always. Is this a classic investment piece? No, it is not. Will it last forever? No, it won’t. But it has jolly-looking sheep, and green fields, and cotton wool clouds in a blue sky, and it might make you smile. Squint and there is something almost JW Anderson-alicious about it.
Next
Landscape scene zip cardigan
£54
Better-looking skin in a bottle
Armani Beauty
Luminous Silk foundation
from £39.20
Armani Beauty Luminous Silk foundation
I am very much not a makeup expert, so what I’m always looking for is makeup that makes me look better without expert application technique. I’ve been using the brilliant L’Oréal True Match plumping tinted serum (£11.99) since our revered beauty supremo Sali Hughes recommended it two years ago, but the shade range doesn’t work for everyone. More expensive but possibly even more idiot-proof – and in 44 shades – is the new formulation (added skincare benefits, fact fans) of Armani Luminous Silk foundation. It looks like better skin, not like foundation.
Armani Beauty
Luminous Silk foundation
from £39.20
24-hour earrings
Orelia
Mini chain huggie hoop earrings
£20
Mini chain huggie hoop earrings
I cannot leave the house without earrings. I would feel half dressed. But there are lots of times when fragile jewellery is impractical and/or rigid post-backed earrings uncomfortable – pilates class, long flight – and I’m way too forgetful to be taking them off on the fly. I rely a lot on huggie hoops, which snap closed in a circular shape and never get in the way. These chain-link hoops by Orelia are my new chic faves. A slightly larger size costs an extra £5 and also comes in silver.
Orelia
Mini chain huggie hoop earrings
£20
A T-shirt, but actually flattering
Me+Em
Slim fit raglan tee
£65
Slim fit raglan tee
Crew-necked, boxy, short-sleeved T-shirts are a classic, and I respect them – but they don’t actually suit me, or many women. Controversial opinion, but there, I’ve said it. What does look great, though, is this raglan-sleeved, elbow-length-sleeve T-shirt by Me+Em. I love Me+Em because you can tell that the designs have been tried on and thought through by real women, rather than ripped off the latest catwalk trend and safety pinned on to a teenage model for a publicity shot. The raglan sleeves give an elegant line – they’re also super comfy to move your arms and shoulders in, which is why baseball players wear this shape – and the cinnamon stripe is neutral but with a certain je ne sais quoi.
Me+Em
Slim fit raglan tee
£65
The best big-birthday present idea ever
With Nothing Underneath
Boyfriend shirt
£95
Boyfriend shirt
This one is gold. I almost don’t want to share, but I’m generous like that. With Nothing Underneath, founded by an ex-Vogue stylist, makes the absolute best boyfriend-style classic shirts, tailored for women. A hugely successful small British brand (no small feat in this climate, which tells you something), WNU has now branched out into wool blazers (divine) and belts. But I’m here to tell you about the shirt personalisation service. For £15 on top of the price of a shirt, you can have initials (or a date) embroidered on to a shirt cuff. Could there be a more chic and thoughtful gift for your stylish pal’s next big day?
With Nothing Underneath
Boyfriend shirt
£95
This sell-out leather jacket is back
Whistles
Frida leather jacket
from £449
Frida leather jacket
One thing I have learned this winter is that a roomy, blouson-style leather jacket is borderline miraculous for instantly making your clothes look like an outfit, if you know what I mean. Cool and intentional, practical but very slightly racy. Whistles has been nailing the leather-jacket market for a few seasons now, and this Frida jacket, with clean lines and the perfect silhouette in an elegant olive green, is back in stock after selling out.
Whistles
Frida leather jacket
from £449
For more, read how to dress in cold weather and the best clothes and accessories to buy secondhand
