Want to be cosy and elegant this Christmas? Duchess Sophie’s chocolate brown roll-neck and velvet skirt are failsafes

Duchess Sophie’s chocolate brown roll-neck jumper and burgundy velvet skirt is just what we want to be wearing this festive season.

At this time of year we love embracing all the sparkles and velvet with our Christmas party outfits, but when the festive period itself arrives often all we want to be wearing is something cosy. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to still feel elegant and put-together and this balance isn’t always easy. Thankfully, we can always rely on the royals for smart-casual style inspiration and Duchess Sophie didn’t let us down with her look for a visit to her patronage Disability Initiative’s resource centre. It’s in Camberley, close by to where Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward live at Bagshot Park, and the senior royal threw herself into many activities there, including carolling, painting and making mince pies.

For this busy day Duchess Sophie opted for a chic but comfortable outfit and wore a chunky brown jumper with a gorgeous velvet midi skirt. Like many of the jumpers in our winter capsule wardrobe this one had a snuggly roll neck design with ribbed detailing.

Recreate Duchess Sophie's Outfit 1

Recreate Duchess Sophie's Outfit 2

This was echoed on the cuffs and bottom hem and the Duchess of Edinburgh’s jumper also had dropped shoulders and blouson sleeves. Although we love a fitted knit when we want to tuck it seamlessly into jeans or skirts, a jumper with a more relaxed silhouette like this is lovely for more casual days and drapes beautifully when untucked.

If you’re tired of wearing Christmas jumpers already, then something like Duchess Sophie’s roll-neck is a brilliant alternative for those late December days. She might love wearing brighter colours and pink in particular, but her toasty jumper was a much more neutral chocolate brown shade. The warm undertones made this instantly feel even cosier and dark brown is a slightly softer hue compared to a black jumper but is equally versatile.

You could effortlessly mix and match a chocolate brown jumper like hers with so many other items in your wardrobe, from blue and black jeans to smart tailored trousers, and this colour looks especially wonderful with white, beige and rich warm hues. Duchess Sophie styled her jumper with a burgundy velvet skirt for her day at the Disability Initiative resource centre.

Burgundy is the biggest colour of the autumn/winter season and we’ve seen so many of her fellow royals embracing it recently, including Zara Tindall with her burgundy velvet suit. The Duchess’s skirt was midi length and looked to have a timeless A-line shape. Something like this is ideal for wearing with a chunkier jumper as it helps to balance out your silhouette and sits neatly under the knitwear.

The combination of the burgundy and brown was glorious and the velvet brought another texture into her outfit. This gave it more dimension and Duchess Sophie finished off her look with a pair of tights and slouchy tan knee high boots. They seem to be the ones she wore to the Together at Christmas service and if so they have a gently pointed toe and sturdy block heel.

This outfit was the perfect blend of style and comfort and worked so well for this special festive engagement. The Duchess has been Patron of Disability Initiative since 2003 and the charity aims to empower and enable individuals with disabilities as well as their families to live as independently as possible, build resilience and foster community integration.