January clothes for those who are smarter than the average bear.

We’re going on a bear hunt, we’re going to catch a big one. What a beautiful day! We’re not scared. So begins Mr Michael Rosen and Ms Helen Oxenbury’s children’s book We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, which itself is now old enough to be thinking about settling down, buying a house and having tiny baby pamphlets of its own, or at least to be facing the inevitability that the hangovers are only going to get worse, given that it turns 30 this year.

If you were to go looking for a bear, there are places where you might encounter one. Mr Rosen and Ms Oxenbury suggest a deep, dark cave. In 1950, Mr Bing Crosby noted that if you go down to the woods today, be sure of a big surprise. (Equally, you might wish to try your luck on Old Compton Street in London’s Soho.) However, at this time of year, your chances of stumbling on one aren’t great, what with many species of bear inclined to hibernate over winter.

Should you be stepping out into the bracing cold regardless, we suggest wrapping up in some suitably cosy clothing. And if you’re making like a bear, or indeed like the family featured in the aforementioned book, who – spoiler alert – end up hiding under the duvet, these snuggly items should more than suffice for staying in, too. Because – oh no! – it’s January, cold, bleak January. We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it. We’ve got to go through it.

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