Stylist December 15, 2021

“we can still make this christmas special” So here we are again… another Christmas spent packing away the dancing shoes we’d only just dusted off. Saying we’re disappointed to be back in a state of Covid-confusion is a bit like saying Adele can hold a tune. But if there’s one thing we’ve now learnt the hard way, it’s that we can do this. Sure, it’s frustrating. Yes, it’s unfair. Of course: There. Are. No. Words. But we can do it. Over the past 21 months (deep breath) we have all had to find strength we didn’t know existed, we have developed collective resilience – and importantly, ways to support one another – in an unpredictable world, and we have proven to ourselves time and time again that we can find…

So here we are again… another Christmas spent packing away the dancing shoes we’d only just dusted off. Saying we’re disappointed to be back in a state of Covid-confusion is a bit like saying Adele can hold a tune. But if there’s one thing we’ve now learnt the hard way, it’s that we can do this. Sure, it’s frustrating. Yes, it’s unfair. Of course: There. Are. No. Words. But we can do it. Over the past 21 months (deep breath) we have all had to find strength we didn’t know existed, we have developed collective resilience – and importantly, ways to support one another – in an unpredictable world, and we have proven to ourselves time and time again that we can find a way to face the challenges thrown…

A ONE-DAY DIARY FROM FLAT WHITE TO LIGHTS OUT Saba Hassan, Deputy CEO at Hammersmith and Fulham Food Bank Saba, 27,  lives in Hounslow with her family My alarm goes off… At 6.30am. It’s probably not healthy, but the first thing I reach for is my phone. I’ll quickly check my emails, then get up. Getting out of bed when it’s dark and cold in winter is always a struggle, but I’ll have breakfast – usually something like porridge – and make a cup of tea to warm myself up. I always take time to do my make-up in the morning. I spend my days with colleagues and evenings with my family, so it’s the only time I have to myself, and I find the whole process of putting…

grand design Hibernate in style at this chic Bath townhouse Wrap yourself up for a winter weekend at the city’s coolest boutique hotel, No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath Standing outside the limestone townhouse exterior of No.15, it’s impossible to guess the colour and creativity that lies within. The latest opening from British hospitality geniuses GuestHouse (their Bath hotel reopened in May and there’s now a York outpost too), No.15’s Grade I-listed building is straight out of Jane Austen but its unique, art-filled interior feels very 2022. This is ‘modern splendour’ – the perfect hibernation spot for what already feels like a long, weary winter. First up, the rooms. There are 37 of them and each has its own character, from cosy small guest rooms in the eaves of the old servants’…

A ONE-DAY DIARY FROM FLAT WHITE TO LIGHTS OUT Saba, 27, lives in Hounslow with her family My alarm goes off… At 6.30am. It’s probably not healthy, but the first thing I reach for is my phone. I’ll quickly check my emails, then get up. Getting out of bed when it’s dark and cold in winter is always a struggle, but I’ll have breakfast – usually something like porridge – and make a cup of tea to warm myself up. I always take time to do my make-up in the morning. I spend my days with colleagues and evenings with my family, so it’s the only time I have to myself, and I find the whole process of putting make-up on very therapeutic. Once I’m ready, I’ll jump in my car and be…

“All I want for Christmas is something thoughtful” words: billie bhatia In 2017 I was thrilled with my present giving, particularly what I bought for my dad (Baz, who, believe it or not, is a bigger brat than I am). I had burnt through my budget to shout him a Loewe tie and cufflinks. (I knew my dad would want to brag about being ahead of the fashion curve with a brand I had to teach him the pronunciation of.) I even threw in a pair of sunglasses to ensure the ‘favourite child’ award was coming my way. He tore through my carefully wrapped gifts in the spoilt manner you would expect from Veruca Salt, briefly flashed a smile and then asked, “What’s next?” “Um, well, that’s all I got…