In our Comfort era

Life is hard. It can be cosy too. We've sunk into ramen bowls, plushies, crochet and lo-fi music. Time to soft launch your inner grandparent

- Riddhi Doshi

Have you noticed it too? All around us, the world's getting subtly softer at the edges. Harsh shop lights are now a milky off-white. Bouncy Korean buns, four-cheese pasta, ramen bowls and pies are having a moment. Everyone's moved from their pandemic jammies - to equally chill flannel co-ords, fleece hoodies, sneakers and stretchy trousers.

Bookstores globally are bouncing back. Celebrities are filmed clutching plushies as they head to the airport. We're championing the granny life: Breadmaking, crochet, journalling, staying in on Saturday night. There are succulents in the garden, lo-fi on the playlist, and emotional-support Stanley flasks on the wishlist.

We're googling "slow travel" for summer. Makeup looks are soft and glowy. Mocha Mousse is the colour of the year. The fragrance of this generation is... vanilla.

The world, it seems, is in need of a permanent hug. Can you blame us? The planet is warming. Global politics is a mess. The bot overlords are getting smarter. The hustle isn't paying off at work. The swipe isn't getting us anywhere on Tinder. So, we're retreating, more and more, into comfort zones. Here, then, is the comfort list for 2025 - what's working, what's no longer cutting it and what you probably haven't tried yet. Sink in.

Décor