Daniel RidingThe winter chill is creeping in and the wind is biting a bit harder as the last of the four seasons descends upon our stylish selves. With the cold comes the need to layer up, and the desire to stay indoors becomes more and more prevalent as venturing into the snow is our least desired winter activity. Staying in doesn’t mean getting dressed up or presenting yourself in a certain way, it means you can sit on your derrière and relax, unwind or work from home if that is what you do. Here at MFM we are forever rushing around, and as you can image we run pretty busy lives. Between deadlines and articles, we do like to find ways to help us relax and allows ourselves to de-stress. This is why we love to throw on our ‘slobbing’ clothes, order takeout and switch off in front of our favourite sitcom.
You would think that in the home away from prying and judgemental eyes, that clothes no longer have any importance. No one sees you, so who cares what you wear: right? Wrong. You may be curled up at home but from personal experience what you select to clothe yourself with still rates pretty high in importance. When the folks here at MFM are relaxing, it is a collective agreement that comfort is everything and with comfort comes a little luxury. Maybe a lot of luxury depending on your personal preferences, but what you need to consider is the quality and comfort of the pieces you are chilling in. Have you ever bought an oversized woolly jumper with the intended purpose of it being for your chill time, only to discover that it is the itchiest and most uncomfortable thing you have ever graced your skin with? We have all been there, and now it is time to learn from these mistakes. You work hard; you play hard and trust me when I say, that you most definitely deserve to rest hard.
So if you need a little help in the relaxing department, I suggest you read on for our guide to the comfiest, coolest and possibly the quirkiest items of clothing that will relax you body into complete submission. Oh and just for the record, I have decided that I am in no way going to advocate the ‘onesie’; I cannot be held responsible for your personal choice in questionable loungewear.
Pyjamas
The idea of pyjamas may bring forth a few mental images of what children wear or even what your grandfather wears when it is time to enter the land of nod. But there is a certain charm to how underrated these really are. They are clearly designed for comfort and it literally is something you can just throw on. You don’t even have to purchase a matching set; you can easily mix some pyjama pants with a simple tee or even a pyjama top with some sweatpant style shorts. A favourite of mine in particular is an oversized hoodie, usually I purchase one of these in the next size up so I can feel nice and warm and wrapped up when it gets colder. The choice is literally down to you and what you feel most comfortable in.
Dressing Gowns
This particular item is a personal favourite; this is what I mentally associate with unwinding and chilling out. The minute it gets put on, the chilling process can begin. Even my cat loves it when the thick plush dressing gown gets worn, she instantly climbs on my lap for some affection and to utilise my dressing gown too. Clearly great taste runs from man to feline. Dressing gowns are (or at least should be) a crucial piece of loungewear for any man looking to shed the layers of stress that the working day has given you. To be wrapped up in a thick, soft dressing gown whilst flicking through the TV channels is one of the best ways to unwind. There is also the added bonus of saving on your heating bill a little.
Novelty Items
Now is the point when we reiterate that fact that not many people are going to what you wear when you are exercising your right to relax. So with that being said, we found quite a few novelty items that you can either purchase for yourself or even offer them as Christmas presents. But these are more fun for you, but a particular favourite of ours is the superhero dressing gowns from New Look, who doesn’t dream of being a superhero every now and again?
Relax, Unwind & Chill
So there you have it, a number of different luxury (and novelty) pieces that will help you unwind at the end of a long, hard and cold day. All you need to do is supply the snacks, entertainment and a nice hot chocolate (or alcoholic beverage), and your chilled evening will be a guaranteed success. Ok so now maybe I should begrudgingly advocate the occasional ‘onsie’ based on the suggestions of novelty items. However these are only recommended for indoor wear, you won’t believe the amount if times I have spotted people wearing ‘onsie’s’ outdoors *shudders*. There really is no excuse to be caught outdoors in what you would wear to bed. If people wanted to know that they would at least hopefully take you for a meal first.