Finally some good news! It is now officially ok to live in a bathrobe. Indeed, rather than signifying a willingness to give up on life, choose the right one and it is an indicator that you have mastered the art of isolation dressing.
The right bathrobe is one by Tekla. For the label literate, the Danish label is already a go-to, garnering cultish enthusiasm around previously unsexy items like towels and blankets, bedding and, yes, bathrobes.
Case in point: this week Alexa Chung posted a picture to Instagram of herself wearing the brand's striped towelling robe. Caption? 'Gown life'. Harry Styles - a man who we previously imagined might spend his time indoors wearing nothing but fishnets and a fistful of jewellery (just me?) - likes them so much, he has two. He wore a brown one in the music video for Adore You an an identical lilac style for a conference call at the end of last year (see, they are even video call approved).
Founded by Charlie Hedin in 2017, Tekla has quickly filled a gap in the market for modern homeware essentials. The brand’s forte is its distinctly Scandinavian ethos: think major cosy points (Tekla hails from the home of ‘hygge’ after all) and a purposeful, design-driven aesthetic (Hedin has impeccably cool credentials, he previously worked at Acne and Eytys); a win-win in this strange new world. The brand exemplifies the distinctly Danish approach to design, namely that one shouldn’t have to choose between style and function.
It’s an attitude that’s resonated with the fashion pack, who are suddenly as excited about towels as they are about the latest Bottega Veneta drop (trust me, I know, I have two bathrobes – the same striped one as Alexa and a pink version – a towel, and two blankets from the brand). At the end of last year, the brand unveiled a collaboration with architect John Pawson with a dinner at Matchesfashion.com’s townhouse, the blankets were strewn on chairs at the launch dinner for Cloakroom magazine and the brand hosted a boat trip for international editors and influencers during Copenhagen Fashion Week (they were only too keen to Instagram pictures of themselves in the robes). The Tekla palette – which includes ‘off’ pastels and puttyish neturals – has helped woo the style set.
‘For me, it is very hard to say why Tekla became so popular among fashion culture, but in my honest opinion it is the authenticity and simplicity of our product,’ Hedin says. ‘Our nature is to make simple and beautiful design-led products without compromising on quality and sustainability. The world around us is changing and the current system, which produces two or more collections per year, does not participate in a change towards a sustainable future. At Tekla, we do not play by any season. If we want to launch a blanket on the website, we just do so. I guess the tranquility of our products might also appeal, that make the homes so serene and warm that you can escape in them’. That's a message that resonates now more than ever.
’Tekla bathrobes are incredibly special because they give the wearer two types of comfort - the comfort of soft, warm cotton on the skin but also the comfort of knowing they were made sustainably by a young and forward-thinking company,’ agrees the writer and editor Lucy Moore, director of the Claire de Rouen bookshop.
Considered, not-going-out gear is perhaps the ultimate style statement right now. It sends a message that you see fashion through a thoroughly individual lens – you are dressing to please yourself and nobody else. It is also the easiest way to show your friends and colleagues that you haven't give up just yet. I just hope my Tekla robes send another message too: Harry, if you ever want a slumber party, give me a shout.
SHOP: The Best Bathrobes
SHOP: The Best Bathrobes
1 of 5Tekla, Hooded Cotton-Terrycloth Bathrobe, £165
2 of 5Simply Be, Value Towelling Gown and Slippers, £24
3 of 5Soho Home, Bath Robe, £56
4 of 5M&S Collection, Cotton Striped Towelling Dressing Gown, £49.50
5 of 5