THE ART OF AUTUMN LAYERING

There’s an art to layering. Not just in the ‘stick a jumper over a shirt over a tee’ kind of way, but in the sense that a properly layered outfit says something - about effort, taste, and knowing what you're doing when temperatures start to drop but the calendar still insists on throwing social plans at you.

 As we traverse the transitional season, it’s time to reframe how we think about autumnal dressing. Not as a chore, but as an opportunity. A chance to get creative with colour, texture, shape and accessories. A way to wear all your favourite pieces at once without looking like you’ve lost a bet.

Look, we all love black. It’s easy. It’s safe. It hides a hangover. But the secret to a great autumnal wardrobe is earthy tones - browns, rusts, greens, hell - I even love a mustard yellow at the right times. The trick here isn’t to dress like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, it’s about layering tones (and another trick we’ll get onto later…)

Don’t be afraid to wear black of course, but on the top half, you'd be surprised what you can mix and match if you’d class the colours as ‘autumnal.’ But for convenience I always wear a black trouser or blue jeans as I find trousers can be the one to really push you into that cartoon character territory (under no circumstances should you buy a pair of brick-coloured trousers).

Who’s doing it well? Bottega Veneta’s AW25 tailoring in olive and caramel was a masterclass. A-COLD-WALL always have nice mineral tones and Stone Island's palettes are arguably the best of them all in the outerwear range.

Colour gets the headlines, but texture does the legwork. It’s what makes an outfit look considered rather than chaotic. Think about it like this: if you’re wearing a puffer, maybe skip the techy joggers and go for a wool trouser instead. If you’ve got a heavy flannel shirt on, throw a satin bomber over the top. The magic is in the mismatch. Also, you can really push the boat out on knitwear; from crazy mohair numbers to a chunky fisherman knit, you can really play about when the temperatures drop and give it some extra pizazz, but we’ll expand on this in the next section…

Here we are lads, the best bit about autumn - knits. Everyone should have at least three good knits in their wardrobe:

The Everyday Knit:
This is your go-to most days; usually something hard-wearing like a cotton or synthetic blend in a solid neutral colour. My everyday is just a cheap black jumper but had I known how much I'd be wearing this I would have happily paid triple the price. This is the one that can be washed over and over - it doesn’t matter if it gets covered in stains, beer, baby sick - this jumper will be your new best mate.

The Formal Jumper:
This one is a little harder to care for so be gentle. This will be your cashmeres or merinos mainly and have a sleeker thinner look without sacrificing warmth. It can be dressed up or down and also looks great with a suit.

The Wildcard Sweater:
This is really your anything goes category. They don't fall in everyday but aren't too formal, can be worn as a statement or as reserved as you like. You can have a lot of fun with these knits. Go wild with some crazy mohair styles, simple as a brushed Shetland, or opt for cable knits, jacquard knits and more - the list goes on.

My pet peeve is seeing a white t-shirt poking out of a dark jumper, but there's nothing wrong with playing with pops of colour on either a collar or maybe leaving a longer Oxford shirt untucked flowing beneath the hem of your jumper. Gone are the days of 2015 longline shirts, but a peek of colour and texture can work wonders. Ralph Lauren have been doing this fantastically for years.

Once the bones of your outfit are in place, the finishing touches can make all the difference. A scarf with texture or a good pattern serves form and function - can’t go wrong with Burberry or Paul Smith in this department. A cap or beanie can shield your eyes from the low sun or winter chill on the ears. And my favourite; a colourful sock poking out (again, Paul smith is your man!). I usually pick up a range of different colours. In winter, I find colours like mustard, brown, burnt orange and reds seem to cover all bases for any outfits. These small touches are what can elevate your look from basic without looking toooo overdressed.

I hope this has helped you even a little bit when you get dressed this autumn. Layering isn’t just a way to stay warm; it’s a styling move. A creative flex. An excuse to wear more of your favourite pieces all at once. Done badly, it looks like you prepared your outfit in the dark - and I don't just mean the mornings. But with the right pieces and this (kind of) foolproof guide, you’ll find that a lot more pieces in your wardrobe can work together with one another in harmony.