How easy are you finding the autumn transition?
I’m sure you’ve heard that it’s easy – just throw a jumper or a biker jacket over your summer dress and replace sandals with trainers or ankle boots and you’re good to go! Sometimes easier said than done…
The trouble is trying to match clothes that might have been bought for different purposes don’t always work. Trends have an impact but also our age, job scenario, what’s going on in our lives and of course our personality. The way we dress can change subtly over time and the old recipes might need adjusting.
So if you haven’t worn something since last autumn here are a few ideas to help you get the transition right for this year:
- Layers – I’m a big fan of layers but if you peel off and deconstruct your outfit you need to make sure that the outfit still works at each point. It’s no good having a cami top under a jacket, which might look great, if you can’t take your jacket off comfortably.
- Scarves – can be real value, (I guess that’s not surprising having been called ‘the Queen of Scarves’ by the BBC, I live up to my reputation!). Did you know that silk scarves are having a revival? They can keep you warm, add a splash of colour and texture as well as easily updating an existing outfit.
- Coat – work out what will work with your clothes and current style. What do you need to be able to fit underneath? An oversized coat can be great for this but if you’re petite it could easily drown you. Think about length and how warm it needs to be? Always check the label for fabric content, sometimes it can be deceiving when you think you’re paying for a woollen coat it may have surprisingly little wool in the fabric content.
- Boots – again, what do you really need? If you’ll be wearing lots of skirts and dresses, knee length boots can be great but if you wear more trousers, ankle boots maybe more versatile. Be careful though, I see too many people who struggle with the getting the width of their jeans to work with their footwear – they are often just that bit too loose to sit neatly with their boots. And of course trainers have become so much more acceptable with some great styles out there, including leather, which gives them that smarter feel whilst still looking contemporary and having comfy feet!
If you’re after something new, when you go shopping make sure you wear the outfit you want it to go with. That way when you try garments on you’ll get a much better sense if it’s really working in the way you want.
I’ve picked a couple of garments that have caught my eye recently (they are all cheerful colours, no black!) and these are my thoughts of why and how you might want to incorporate something similar into your wardrobe –
This relaxed coat from Topshop, £65, is great for adding a splash of colour, particularly if you wear lots of neutrals. It would also work well over a jacket as it’s big enough to layer-up but not too long to swamp you. If you want something more tailored and smarter have a look at Hobbs, Boden or M&S (their collection is so much better this season!).
For a more practical coat at the weekend, what about Arket – their down jackets are made with recycled feathers and down that has been washed and cleaned in natural thermal waters without the use of chemicals.
Unliqo are also very good for this type of practical jacket/coat.
Knee high boots wide enough for any honed calf, £49.99 from H&M! Tan is a great option and goes with a surprising amount of other colours.
If your budget stretches further these navy Jigsaw ankle boots are a great nod to the animal print croc trend, they are subtle enough to last the test of time and as they have texture they will also work with black!
Finding a style that’s ‘you’ and making sound investments on a few key pieces will mean you’ll be able to make easy wardrobe choices that work so much more effectively.
If you need any help, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Or for more styling tips you can follow me on https://www.facebook.com/LesleyClarkeStyleAdvisor
