Seasonal meets chic, Helen Skelton’s red cable-knit jumper and stylish black beret are our new favourite combination

Helen Skelton styled a holly berry red cable-knit jumper with a black beret and it might just have become our new favourite low-key festive combination.

We’re fully on board with Christmas jumpers and sparkly Christmas party outfits, but day-to-day in December we often prefer our style to be a little more low-key and Helen Skelton has just shown us a brilliant chic yet festive combination. The Countryfile presenter is just as at home in her best wellies and puffer coats as she is in glamorous dresses and heels and she went somewhere in between for a visit to Raby Castle. Sharing a video of her trip there with her children on Instagram, Helen gave us plenty of outfit inspiration with her holly berry red jumper and black beret, worn with a long checked coat.

Red is such a gorgeous tone for this time of year and whilst it’s festive it isn’t so seasonal that you couldn’t wear it throughout the rest of winter. The cable-knit pattern on Helen’s jumper gave it a traditional edge and it had a crew neckline and a slightly cropped fit.

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If your winter capsule wardrobe is full of neutral tones and you’re not quite sure how to style red then Helen’s outfit is a great style formula to follow. She balanced the boldness of this shade by wearing her jumper with black and grey pieces, including black leggings, her grey checked coat and, of course, her black beret hat. A red jumper would also be gorgeous worn with your favourite blue or black jeans or with a neutral satin skirt for something a little more dressed up.

For her festive day at Raby Castle with her kids Helen’s outfit was polished, but still very relaxed. Her beret-style hat was a lovely addition and it’s one of those French fashion staples that helps to give your outfits such a fabulous Parisian feel. Although a classic beanie hat or a bobble hat would have also worked with Helen’s jumper and coat, her choice of a beret elevated her outfit a little more and made it more fashion-forward.

Her hat coordinated with her black leggings, tying her whole outfit together perfectly whilst ensuring that her red jumper was the star of the show. The sophistication and cosiness of Helen’s red jumper and beret makes this a combination we can’t help wanting to recreate, but even if you’re not sure about the two together, worn separately a red jumper and beret are stunning wardrobe staples.

The broadcasting star finished off her December outfit with a longline checked grey coat with a slouchy, oversized silhouette and lapels. Helen wore her coat open which not only gave us more of a glimpse of her beautiful red knit, but also gave her look an even more effortlessly chic feel.

Like cable-knit designs, checked patterns are wonderful for creating a traditional winter outfit and Helen has several in her collection, including a beautiful red tartan Holland Cooper one and a black and white Hunt and Hall one that she wore for filming On The Farm. Her grey one is lovely for everyday and the neutral tones means she won’t need to worry about which colours to wear it with.

When everything is so busy and the weather is cold, those easy-to-style pieces are what we find ourselves reaching for the most. A red jumper and a black beret might seem trickier to wear, but as Helen proved, they can be so striking and sensational with your neutral staples.