It's hibernation time - so dressing is how you feel, not how you look | Jess CartnerMorley

What should you wear when no one sees you? Spoiler alert: the answer is not "who cares". It's hibernation month, but we can still make it a trend. Evening wear is, until further notice, redefined as what to wear to binge on a box set on the couch, not to shine at parties. The long dark nights, the cold, your bank balance and your New Year's resolutions make staying home seem like the path of least resistance, plus everyone's in this together so it's not as if you were missing much.

This kind of evening wear can be just as glorious, in its own way, as a dress and jewelry. Hibernation chic is about optimizing how you feel, not how you look, but that doesn't mean it has to be schlumpy. I don't see any logic in making this time of year any more depressing than it already is by donning your oldest sweatpants and a sweater that's gone bobbly. You don't have to give up all dignity just because you're at home with the curtains drawn. Solo time can be a treat, but only if you treat it as such.

In other words: be 10% more Gwyneth Paltrow. Consider what you wear to stay home as a form of self-care. Lean into the comfort of being at home and wear what will make your night on the couch the most enjoyable. Stretch and ease come first. Fabrics should be soft and malleable, so whether you slide your legs under you on the couch, rest them on the coffee table, or get into a yoga position on the mat, you're comfortable .

Let's break this down. Instead of burying yourself under bulky sweaters, start with a thin layer that covers you as much as possible. The goal is not just to prevent drafts, it is to eliminate the slightest possibility of drafts. The luxury of being home should be that, with enough careful layers, the specter of cold that has haunted this winter even more than most winters can be silenced.

Leggings have been pushed out of trend by track bottoms in the public bottom half athleisure rankings, but leggings are ideal loungewear , being comfortable without bulk. Leggings don't have pockets and may look like they're on display in public, but they're perfect around the house.

On the top half you need a long sleeve t-shirt or a generous length thermal layer. You want a lot of overlap with the leggings, the goal being that at no time will you need to pull anything up or down to keep the cold air at bay. Not just long sleeves but ideally extra long sleeves. You can't really feel warm if your wrists are cold.

Once you have a thin base layer, it's time to add something fluffy or big on top. A long cardigan, a hoodie, a half zip. It could be a sweater dress. I love loose knit dresses that work with leggings and slippers as loungewear, as well as tights and boots for the office.

This what you wear should be flattering, not for your figure, but for the image you have of yourself. Wearing your prettiest, softest knit helps you see time spent at home not as an absence of fun, but as a time to recharge your batteries, cocooned in something soft like a cloud. That's why looking for pajamas and a robe isn't the answer, because the whole point of hibernation clothes is that you're actively embracing the homebody life, not just killing time until the lights go out.

A couch and a Netflix subscription are a hot Saturday night date right now. And the dress code is whatever makes you feel absolutely fabulous.

Model: Eliana at Body London. Hair and makeup: Sophie Higginson using GHd hair care and Tom Ford beauty. Sweater and leggings: The White Company. Shoes: Birkenstock