It’s been a record-breaking summer but temperatures are now back down, and it’s impossible to ignore the onset of autumn and winter. It’s going to be a series of long, dark months until the spring signals a return to warm days, so it’s well worth having a think now about how you’re going to add some style and variety to your wardrobe as well as making sure it’s doing that basic job of keeping you warm and dry. It’s not just practical, if you’re not an autumn person, or even prone to Season Affective Disorder then looking for bright sides in this dark season is a vital way to endure the winter.
Autumn can be a tricky season, as while it can throw cold night and freezing rain at you to rival the worst winter has to offer, at it’s most temperate it can remind you of balmy summer days long into October. It means you never quite know what’s coming next, and you could leave the house dressed perfectly for a cold, clear morning only to suffer when the afternoon gets hot and muggy.
The key is planning, and layering – building up an outfit out of lots of different layers which work in combination, so whether you’re buttoned up under a heavy coat, and stripped down to a t-shirt, your outfit is helping you express yourself and fitting your image to the occasion as well as protecting you from the rigours of the weather.
You’ll certainly need at least a couple of luxury cashmere sweaters – they’re a byword for fashion and quality (as long as you make sure you choose good cashmere) but they’re also the softest, most comfortable garments you could imagine. That means that, with care, you can use them as formal business attire on cold miserable days when you need to feel comfortable as well as look professional and in less formal setting when you’re lounging around the house on rainy Sunday afternoons in September.
Another key thing you’ll need in your wardrobe is a good coat. Your winter coat is an eloquent piece of clothing, so choose carefully: a duffel coat carries a very different of associations to a classic mac, for example, both of which have more vintage overtones than a more modern cut and style of coat. Think about the sort of person you want to be this winter and pick a coat to help you make that first impression!