Jess Cartner-Morley’s January wardrobe essentials for 2026

Jess Cartner-Morley offers a New Year primer for 2026, suggesting key wardrobe pieces to nudge mind, body and soul into a fresh-start mode, from button-through sleeveless knits to quarter-zip jumpers and French-style hairpins. She highlights a button-through sleeveless knit (Albaray chunky rib waistcoat, from £85) as an antidote to “sofa mode”: it can be thrown over a T‑shirt and trousers, the reduced layering feels fresher, and horn-effect buttons add a dressy, versatile touch.

A revived scarf trend is another pick, exemplified by the Cotswold Knit Notgrove neckerchief (£64 at Gather & See) with a pull-through detail for easy styling. Cartner-Morley calls the quarter-zip “fashion’s most unlikely new obsession,” noting examples from fashion shows before recommending Uniqlo’s soufflé yarn half-zip jumper (£39.90).

She also flags cosy, over-the-top ski-style ankle boots (Zara Ski collection ankle boots, £89.99) and smart, travel-friendly trousers (Vuori Elevation trousers, £110) among her essentials. Other suggestions include hunting out a checked flannel (Aligne Taylor flannel shirt, £49.49) — including in charity shops or partners’ wardrobes — a French-Girl hairpin (Anthropologie eyelet resin hair pins, £20), a belt-detail merino sweater from Cos (£119), indoor ballet-style slippers (The White Company Borg ballet slippers, £40) and a January birthstone chain necklace from Monica Vinader (£90).

Key Topics

Culture, Jess Cartner-morley, Quarter-zip Sweater, Albaray, Uniqlo, Zara