In case you haven’t gotten the memo, or felt the sudden creep of the cold, there’s a winter-weather advisory in effect, right in the thick of New York Fashion Week. While the thought of to-ing and fro-ing through arctic-chilled streets creates an overwhelming urge to call it quits, before you abandon the shows in favor of curling under the covers, here’s a wild thought: Take the covers with you!
As temperatures plunge into the teens, blankets may prove to be the best-kept seasonal—and sartorial—secret for battling the elements while still looking effortlessly chic. Maybe it’s a vintage Suzani tapestry slung over a sofa. Maybe it’s a quilt at the foot of the bed. Maybe it’s a Parachute cashmere throw draped across an armchair. For me, on this particularly gray-skied February morning, it’s a granny-square afghan, an heirloom crocheted and passed down by my great-grandmother, which, until I spotted its twin on the Saint Laurent Men’s Spring 2015 runway, had remained tucked away, only to cozy up in on a rainy day.
Ask anyone at the Vogue offices, and they’ll tell you Louis Vuitton got it right when they sent cashmere logo-fied blankets for the holidays—they’ve become the go-to cozy coverall for when the building’s AC kicks in. Indoors and outdoors, we’re not the only ones bundling up. Nearly every street sighting, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen can be seen swathed in color-coordinated fabrics twice their size. Alternatively, for an accent to your ensemble, follow the boss, Kate Moss, and sling a colorful yet classic Hermès blanket around your shoulders.
Whatever drapery, bedspread, or patchwork perfection you choose, one thing is certain: Good blankets make great scarves. While no one’s suggesting traipsing about town in a down duvet (though with a blizzard in the forecast, the thought has seriously crossed my mind), in a moment when sleepwear is taking the runways and streets by storm, grab your pj’s, slippers, blanket—everything short of a mattress and pillow—and go.
