From a cool clutch to Bob Dylan sunglasses: Jess Cartner-Morley’s February picks

I am fond of February. It means January is over, which is cause for celebration already. The end-of-season sale rails have gone, so shop windows are again a source of new ideas. The weather is still rubbish, obviously, but the light is coming back: with a pinch of luck, you may even see daylight on the way home from the office by the end of February. The first snowdrops are nearly here. I like Valentine’s Day, which I know is deeply uncool of me, but I like pink and I like chocolate, so what’s not to love?

But February can be a challenge to dress for. The novelty of snuggly knits and shiny boots has well and truly worn off at this point, and maintaining enthusiasm for cold-weather dressing is a chore. Please keep reading for a top-tier edit of the most delectable and affordable treats I’ve scouted from February’s shelves. No time to waste, my friends: another good thing about February is that it’s only 28 days long. Let’s hear it for a month that’s not just short, but also surprisingly sweet.

This shortlist of items are covered in a new column for the Filter.

Sunglasses that will make you as cool as Bob Dylan

Broski sunglasses

£70 at Ssense

Is it too early in the year to be thinking about sunglasses? Not if you’ve seen A Complete Unknown. I came out of the cinema obsessed with finding the perfect black shades, as modelled by Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan. Well-designed, quality sunglasses tend to be eye-wateringly expensive, but Le Specs, a brand worn by everyone from Justin Bieber to the Duchess of Sussex, is a great place to start. These Broski sunglasses have a vintage-inspired silhouette without looking retro. They come in tortoiseshell, too, but it’s the black smoke mono colourway I’m into.

The supersize puffer coat

Superdry maxi longline puffer coat
£164.99 at Superdry

After months of people-watching while dog-walking – does this count as multitasking? – I’ve figured out why some people look fabulous in a puffer coat while others (me) just look like a generic dog walker. The coat has to be really big, and really long. This is counterintuitive, because puffer coats are large anyway, so our natural instinct is not to go any bigger than we have to. But they look so much better – so much better – if they’re oversized and ankle length. Especially good teamed with cool shades (see above). This Superdry coat is ideal.

Possibly the coolest clutch bag/makeup pouch ever made?

Perello leather pouch
£295 at Anya Hindmarch
£295 at Liberty

Can I justify this? No. Do I want it? Damn right. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this delicious Anya Hindmarch pouch since I saw it. I am obsessed with Perelló olives and I know this would bring me joy for ever. It’s big enough to be a clutch for evenings, or a makeup bag, or to keep essentials from sinking to the bottom of a handbag. Not an olive girl? How about a Stabilo Boss coin purse (£295)?

A lingerie brand to get on your radar

Camelia wired bra
£39 at Bluebella

Do you know Bluebella? Not enough women know about Bluebella. This female-founded, London-based lingerie label makes beautiful underwear that is special without being too heavy-handedly erotic, if you know what I mean. It also looks great under clothes, which a surprising number of underwear brands don’t think about. Best of all, it’s reasonably priced. If you are in London, you can visit its store in Covent Garden to take a look. The Camelia bra is a balconette silhouette that works well under scoop necklines.

Are your pilates socks 2025 enough?

Pilates and yoga grip socks
£12.99 at Belsize Activewear

Asking all the big questions, am I right? But, seriously, you’ve ditched trainer socks in the rest of your wardrobe – please tell me you’ve ditched trainer socks in the rest of your wardrobe – so why are you still wearing them to pilates? I’m wearing these grip socks now. Do keep up.

What’s hot – and what’s most definitely not – this week

Going up

Washing-up gloves | Julia Fox’s Grammy look included a pair of £54 yellow and lace rubber gloves from the tablescaping go-to Gohar World. DIY with a pair of £2.40 Marigolds and a trip to your local craft shop.

No-makeup makeup | At the latest Marc Jacobs show, Pat McGrath used velvet fabric cut-outs to create the illusion of red lips, blush cheeks and beauty spots. Is this the end of being too lazy to remove makeup after a night out?

Citrus fruits | At Copenhagen fashion week, bowls of cherries were trumped by individual orange segments served in silver coupe glasses. Pips not included.

Going down

Cold plunging | Wellness types have rebranded the practice of alternating between hot and cold water as “contrast therapy”. We say: don’t take the plunge.

Sheet masks | TikTokers are sticking banana skins to their faces, claiming it’s a natural exfoliant. Absolutely bananas?

Friendship bracelets | Warning, Taylor Swift has swapped hers for a thigh chain.