The high street is chock-a-block with heavy coats and oversized scarves right now but let’s face it – so far, autumn hasn’t been quite as cold as some of us premature coat-shoppers might have hoped. October is the time for layering; during Autumn I love the mix of knitwear with dressier fabrics and the use of different textures like leather and wool. Lucky for me, Zara is brimming with all of these, so I headed to the store to tackle the art of layering.
The Legs-Out Look
Some things just look better with bare legs, and there’s no better time to wear knits with bare legs than Autumn. A great way to show off the remnants of that summer tan… if you managed to attain one that is. Experiment with proportions and silhouettes by bundling-up on top and pairing with an A-line skirt.
The Smart/Casual Knit
Whether you’re brunching with pals, off to the cinema, or doing absolutely nothing, this comfortable outfit has your lazy weekend covered. I’m not ready to surrender the culottes just yet, so I’ve been layering chunky knits over them. This longline number features side-slits giving you easy access to your pockets, and you could easily smarten this up with simple switch of footwear.
The Sleeveless Trench/Waistcoat Hybrid
If you’re anything like me during winter, you’re more than likely to fall into the rut of all-black outfits (FYI – nothing wrong with all-black). The combination of black and navy in different textures breaks up what could potentially have been a dull outfit, and stops the similar colours from merging together. Ignore the rules, this proves black and navy are the perfect pairing.
Waistcoat, £49.99; jumper, £19.99; trousers, £29.99; shoes, £39.99
The Update To Your Denim Dress
Remember that denim dress you were absolutely besotted with during the summer? Make it autumn-friendly by pairing with a turtleneck underneath. Try layering a turtleneck under any of your stowed away summer dresses to give them a new lease of life, they also look great layered under a V-neck tee or button-down shirt.
The Ode to Cher Horowitz
Cher completely owned that sleeveless jumper look back in the ’90s, and I for one loved it – so here’s my ode to her iconic look. As the temperature declines, I typically begin to layer jumpers over shirts (groundbreaking, I know), but wearing a long sleeve knit over a shirt can often feel uncomfortable. There’s all that trouble with the shirt sleeves bunching up inside the jumper, and if you get too hot you’re pretty much guaranteed a creased mess under that jumper. Enter the long-line sleeveless knit, an easy, comfortable and sweatpatch-free way of wearing a jumper over a button-down shirt.
Sleeveless top, £29.99; shirt, £19.99; culottes, £25.99; trainers, £39.99
The autumnal Culotte
There are some great autumn-weight cropped trousers in Zara right now, including wool and tweed culottes. This elastic-waisted faux-leather pair won me over with their versatility and comfort factor.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.