I confess I have a collection of lounging trousers.

You know, those fleecy pants that hang loose and comfortable and are designed for spending winters indoors with furry slippers and an over-sized sweatshirt.

They first came to my attention in America years ago, when a relative came home from work, immediately took off his business suit and put on a pair, matched with a T shirt. And this wasn’t even winter.

“Great these,” he said. “You don’t even need to wear underpants.”

Which was too much information.

He was even un-phased when his wife asked him to go to the store for an item she had forgotten.

“You wanna come?” he said, which put me in a bit of a dilemma.

Did I want to be seen on retail premises with someone who was virtually wearing pyjamas?

“Of course, I said,” ever the diplomat.

After all, you see all sorts of sights in America.

Before returning to the UK, I invested in a pair, which I still have, and when the snows came a couple of years ago, I simply panicked and bought three more.

If we were going to be snowed in and marooned from civilisation except by husky and sleigh, I wanted to be in comfort with a change of kit for the duration.

Perhaps it’s my time of life, but I do, when style permits, genuinely enjoy a touch of comfort.

There are, however, items of attire that I would avoid at all costs.

For instance, what is the point of a gilet? This is a sleeveless jacket or vest that seems to have sneaked onto the high street from the countryside to give townfolk a touch of the gentry.

It is insulated for cold weather but it doesn’t cover your arms. How daft is that? Your body is warm as toast and your arms could be in danger of dropping off from frostbite!

The other piece of clothing in which you are unlikely to find me snuggling is a onesie. I realise these are worn in the privacy of your own home but they appear to be so impractical for visits to the loo. Do you have to shed the lot to answer a call of nature?

This might not be fun, practical or an easy manoeuvre on a very cold night in November after a bottle of wine while watching Strictly.

Perhaps the makers might take a tip from the garment’s precursor and inspiration: good old fashioned long-johns.

They came, very sensibly, with a flap in the back. How about a pair of those for Christmas?

But not for me. If the snows come, I’ll be happy enough with my fleecy lounging pants and sweatshirt and a garage full of refreshment.