Another high-profile wearer is former Elle editor-in-chief Lorraine Candy, an outdoor swimming super-fan. “My Dryrobe is as much a part of my wardrobe as Carrie Bradshaw’s shoes are a part of hers. It was given to me, a small Lorraine monogrammed on the right sleeve, by Dryrobe in 2017 when I was training for a 70km relay swim across Lake Geneva, which changed my life. I slept in it on the boat and I spent most weekends in it beforehand as we trained,” she tells me. “The first time I wore it for coffee on the high street, after a local lido swim, people stared at me and a stranger asked me what it was, but nowadays everyone wears them when the weather turns rough. I worked in fashion for 30 years and believe in the power of clothes to transform your mood, when I put mine on I just feel happier. It’s one of my most precious items of clothing.”

Dryrobes appeal across all generations and taste levels. Emma Corrin and Harry Styles, two of the coolest people in Britain, were photographed wearing plain black ones while filming on Brighton beach. Meanwhile, Laura Jackson, TV presenter and founder of interiors website Glassette, makes a Dryrobe look effortlessly cool when she wears hers on her frequent trips to Cornwall; “Even if it’s blowing a gale and the water is sub 10 degrees, all you need is the Dryrobe,” she enthuses. “It does what it says on the tin and there is nothing more lovely than a hug in a jacket after a refreshing swim.”  

There’s no doubt that the Dryrobe is divisive. For everyone I asked who was fanatical about its practicality, warmth and understated kudos, there was someone else appalled by their unstoppable rise, especially in a non-swimming context. 

That’s not deterring founder Gideon Bright, though, who has nurtured a whole Dryrobe philosophy since founding the brand 12 years ago, based on an idea his mum had when he was a young surfer. “I am very humbled to see how things have evolved,” he says. “The Dryrobe is original and its attitude – a disregard for a ‘normal’ look, combined with its focus on performance, utility and, ultimately, fun – runs through everything we do and became the Dryrobe way. We do things our way, the way that makes sense to us. That resonates with people.”