CREATE YOUR OWN STYLE with Lee Wardell FROM VERB

We are now in the throws of winter, so here’s a product guide of some of the fabrics which will keep you warm!

Cashmere
Cashmere is expensive, sure, but your investment always pays dividends. It’s three times as insulating as lamb’s wool, meaning you don’t need bulky layers to stay warm, and it’s an unalloyed pleasure against your skin, since the fibres are less than 19 microns thick - around a quarter the width of human hair.

While that cashmere overcoat might remain a dream, due to the cost, accessories are more affordable. A scarf in cashmere - or a cashmere blend, if your budget is tight - will protect you from winter’s worst and offer a contrast to the textures in your tailoring. Alternatively, cashmere jumpers will keep you toasty without burning through your savings.

Fleece
A few years ago, technical products like fleece were worn on mountains by climbers. Fast forward to the present and fleece has rambled off these mountains onto the high street. Invented in 1979 as a cheaper replacement for wool, polar fleece (as it was then known) has proved over the years that its ability to retain heat while also wicking moisture away from the body is
anything but second best.

As any hardened cragsman will tell you, a fleece jacket is essential during the colder months and can be dressed up with dark wash jeans and minimalist sneakers. Or, for a more entry-level move, pull on the fabric’s properties via a pair of fleece joggers or a lined sweatshirt.

Merino Wool
Nature’s great insulator, wool - in all its forms: mohair, tweed - has been prized for centuries for its ability to stand up to harsh conditions in colder climes. When you can’t spring for cashmere, reach for Merino. Shorn from the eponymous sheep, it’s almost as fine as the more expensive cashmere and is also breathable and super-absorbent, making it the perfect base layer.
Just ask the cyclists who prefer it to space-age materials. But it’s not just good in sportswear. A Merino roll neck will regulate
your body heat on those tricky-to-dress-for transitional days.

Or for something simpler, Merino T-shirts are the ideal layering piece, able to retain heat while looking far more stylish
than a thermal vest.

Corduroy
The cows have come home, pigs are taking to the skies and your geography teacher’s favourite has become a fashion fabric! A versatile alternative to jeans or chinos, rich rustic colours make a great accompaniment to tweed jackets and are available in 5 pocket jeans style or a classic slim trouser cut. There’s also a choice between needle cord or a heavier jumbo.

Flannel
As is to be expected of a fabric commonly associated with the American outdoors, worn by cowboys, hunters and lumberjacks alike, flannel is nothing if not hardy. The fabric’s distinctive appearance comes courtesy of fine metal brushes, which are run over the fabric to create a ‘nap’ - the raised fibres that give the material its softness. Beyond texture, the lifted material traps air and heat, making it the ideal counter to plunging mercury. Available at VERB from BROOK TAVERNER, plaid flannel shirts come in various colourways.

With our winter set to last until April, yet with spring clothing lines now coming into the shops, it could be a great time to stock up on a few bargains ready for the chilly months ahead. 

All the pieces described are available at VERB alongside our womenswear range from LILY AND ME. As ever, check out our ranges on social media and our website: www.verbfashion.co.uk - or pop and see us Monday - Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm and Sunday 11am-4pm at Flemingate.