How posh is your dressing gown?

As GH fashion director, you may think I own lots of expensive shoes, bags and designer clothes. I honestly don’t. The most expensive item I own is a floor-length cashmere dressing gown. Yes, one of my favourite things I love to wear when I’m pottering around the house is my cashmere robe. “You have more money than sense” was my mum’s reaction when I told her how much I spent on the dressing gown (a luxurious, blow-the-budget treat to myself).

But she doesn’t understand that at the end of a long, stressful day and the kids are in bed and I finally get five minutes to myself, slipping on my heavenly soft cashmere robe (which I keep out of reach of little sticky fingers) is like receiving a warm hug, instantly taking me to my relaxed, happy place. It’s more than just a dressing gown, it’s like a BFF, and like all best friends, it’ll never let you down.

Feeling cold? Put your dressing gown on. Feeling upset? Put your dressing gown on. Feeling ill? Put your dressing gown on. Life falling apart? Put your dressing gown on. I don’t think dressing gowns are given enough credit, because slipping it on and getting yourself a cup of tea is like therapy – you know everything’s going to be alright. The “rise of the deluxe dressing gown” feels like a very British story. Few other nations can be as obsessed with their robes as we are.

My dream dressing gown is one of the first things I pack in my suitcase for any trip. I take it everywhere, from a weekend at my mum’s (despite the ridicule) to my summer holiday (I hate the overzealous air conditioning in hotel rooms). Yes, my cashmere robe was pricey and, yes, it’s high maintenance (preventing moths from eating their five-a-day on my beloved gown is a full-time job), but was it worth the cost? For the comfort and joy it brings me at the end of each and every day, absolutely!

But it’s not just cashmere dressing gowns that feel luxurious and soft on the skin – there’s also duvet-like quilting or plush velvet and not forgetting five-star, hotel-quality towelling (you no longer have to steal your hotel robe to show that you once went to Soho House). Let’s face it, few things beat a bloody good dressing gown and here, I’ve hand-picked the best posh bathrobes you can buy now (or add to your Christmas wish list).