The Ultimate Outfit For When The Weather’s Hot, Cold And Wet In One Day

If you work in an office, you've probably heard some variation on the theme of, 'Aren't you so hot?' or 'Can you believe the weather?' this morning. Because despite what your app said at 7.30am, it always seems to be balmier or damper than you originally thought it might be by the time you pop out for lunch. And garments that might have felt like a great idea - a big winter coator a sturdy pair of boots - suddenly feel surplus to requirement.

But what if we told you that there was an outfit formula that would perhaps not solve but certainly help you feel more comfortable when the weather throws wind, rain and warmth your way over the course of 12 hours? And it all hinges on the crop top (hear us out). At Paris Fashion Week, show-goers gathered outside Miu Miu - the brand who is practically sponsoring a barely-there approach to spring dressing - wearing cropped shirts and jumpers that finished just below the bra. This might sound like an outlandish idea - and it is for corporate office environments, obviously - but for off-duty, it actually makes sense.

Of course, it all depends on what you wear your crop top with. At Miu Miu, Sarah Ellen styled hers with a pleated skirt that swished against her mid calf and a classic navy coat. Long socks and loafers completed a look which, actually, was quite modest despite the fact that you could plainly see her belly button. It also meant that, when things hotted up, she could shrug off the coat and perhaps ditch the socks - and vice versa by the time the sun went down.

It was a formula that kept cropping up in Paris. Tiffany Hsu wore a similarly brief shirt, but this time with high-waisted trousers and a grey trench-style coat. The overall look had breeziness (quite literally), but actually showed very little skin. And finally Ece Sukan, who styled a motorcycle jacket over a simple cropped tank top and silky combat trousers, again only exposing a few inches to the elements. We should add that the new-gen of crop tops are actually more like crop shirts; a grown-up take that provides a little more coverage and sharpness. Why not give one a whirl? Oh - and don't forget an umbrella.