Dressing up in our favourite Christmas party outfits and New Year’s Eve looks is always fun, but realistically most of us spend more time in snuggly jumpers and jeans this time of year. Warmth and style can be a tricky combination to nail with an outfit and Dame Mary Berry mastered it last year with a shearling-focused beach outfit.
For a day cooking with Strictly dancer Oti Mabuse on the beach in cold weather in the BBC’s Mary Makes Christmas, she wrapped up warm in a cream borg jacket, shearling-lined combat boots, jeans and a grey bobble hat. Faux fur coats are back in a big way in 2025 as a winter coat trend and yet borg and shearling options are easier to style.
Shop Borg Jackets Like Mary's
This cosy borg peacoat by Crew Clothing screams winter and it's perfect if you want to recreate Mary Berry's beach look. It has a comfortable regular fit, a collared neckline and a single-breasted cut. The pockets are a practical addition and this would make a gorgeous coat for frosty walks.
Step out in style with this borg-lined aviator jacket, which features a high funnel neck that you can fasten with a buckle for extra cosiness. It has a zip and popper fastening at the front and the neutral tones of the lining and outer material make this easy to style.
This tan borg collarless jacket has pretty tortoiseshell buttons and a cropped length. Pair with dark jeans and a jumper like Mary, or throw on with a neutral jumper dress to create a put-together but still warm look.
Complete The Look
The Fairfax & Favor Anglesey boots come in various different hues and Mary owns the chocolate brown nubuck version. They're lined with shearling and although they have laces at the front, they also have side zips to make them easy to get on and off.
Streamlined jeans like these are great when you want to tuck your denim into your boots and this pair is also very affordable. The material has some stretch to it and the waist is high-rise. They're designed to fall to the top of the foot with little or no stacking.
These boots have a cushioned insole for comfort and a sturdy leather upper. They're lined and have a block heel and a chunky cleated sole for grip. Style with jeans and a borg coat to create a Mary Berry-esque outfit.
They’re more relaxed, so you can wear them during the day like Mary did without worrying about looking over-dressed. Going for paler borg jackets makes the gorgeous texture of the material stand out more, and her white coat felt extra wintery.
Whilst jewel tones and dark colours are popular for the season, winter whites are a lovely, bright alternative and conjure up visions of snow. Mary Berry layered her jacket over a vibrant turquoise crew neck jumper and indigo skinny jeans.
Because the cosy borg jacket is so neutral, it balanced out the boldness of her knitwear and even if you’re typically a fan of looser denim styles, it’s worth having a streamlined option. They’re easier to tuck into everything from knee-high boots to ankle boots.
Mary’s footwear was almost in between these two lengths, rising to high above her ankle. These are the same boots recently worn by presenter Helen Skelton - the Anglesey Combat Boots from Fairfax & Favor. Made from leather, they have a lace-up front and side zips for ease.
Though perhaps the best thing about them is something that isn’t obvious at first glance. Mary Berry’s combat boots are lined with genuine shearling to make them extra warm and so it’s no wonder she wore them when she and Oti were at Camber Sands beach.
Her shoes are the chocolate nubuck design and not only is brown a very on-trend colour right now, it’s also a softer alternative to black. Since her winter jacket was a lighter hue, choosing black boots might have been a bit stark and brown ones complemented it better.
The grey bobble hat was an equally pared-back finishing touch and Mary’s fondness for borg and shearling meant that she went for a very similar jacket when she needed more freedom of movement for cooking. During the same episode of Mary Makes Christmas, we saw the queen of baking swap into a white borg gilet.
Like her jacket it was snug-looking and classic. Something like this is great for wearing underneath coats as an extra layer, or popping on when it’s milder or if you’re only going to be outside briefly. For a frosty walk, I’d pick a full borg jacket like Mary’s every time and this 2024 outfit is such an easy one to replicate in winter.
