What to Wear Between Christmas and New Year's

The days between Christmas and New Year's deserve clothes with a little more thought than loungewear and far less ceremony than party dressing. Start with a substantial knit, such as the Dries Van Noten checked brushed merino sweater, add trousers that hold their line without feeling stiff, and finish with a flat shoe built for a long walk or an afternoon on someone else's sofa. This is dressing for the rare stretch of time with no fixed plan, where comfort is not an excuse for sloppiness. A wool turtleneck like Toteme's works the same way under a coat, rewarding touch as much as it photographs well. The best version feels composed at first glance and forgiving by lunchtime.

The practical formula is simple: one excellent knit, one long line below it, and a shoe that does not ask for attention. A cardigan worn closed becomes a top, and worn open it gives a shirt and jeans the proportion of a real outfit. Toteme's croc-effect ankle boots or the adidas Handball Spezial loafer both do the finishing work without competing with a heavier knit above them. For trousers, check the rise while standing and sit down before deciding on the size, since ease at the waist matters more than a dramatic break at the hem. Rotate the texture rather than the whole silhouette, and a small wardrobe does most of the work for you.

We would skip anything that needs a special occasion to make sense during this stretch of the year. A well-made sweater, a pair of easy trousers and a flat shoe have more staying power this week than a novelty piece bought for a single photograph. The one compromise worth making is a loafer like the adidas Handball Spezial, which earns its place because the shape has the quiet usefulness of a classic and gives heavier knits a little air underneath. Wool, alpaca and brushed textures reward touch more than they photograph, which matters when the days are this unstructured. If you take one thing away, build the outfit around the piece you will still want to wear on the fourth unplanned day, then add only what makes that piece easier to wear.