I’ve been asked quite a lot about what to wear right now; this mild Autumn weather seems to have thrown everyone for a loop.
I can’t tell you what you ought to wear, no-one can do that, you are a free being and must do as you will at all times. OR are we all merely zombie slaves of Apple. Inc? Discuss.
Anyway I can’t tell you what you ought to wear, but I can tell you what I, personally, will be wearing for the next few weeks. I’m celebrating it still being warm enough to get my ankles out but not so hot that we cannot leave the house because it is so hot.
It is perfect weather for new trainers – either your ice whites or some uglies OR your clogs, remember them? It’s total clog weather. Mine are Lotta from Stockholm. You probably already have a pair. If not, think about it.
And then you’ll need some chinos like these from J Crew; mine are from Vince about 6 months ago and they no longer do them but I really fancy these.
Then a blouse! I’m really into blouses at the moment. My favourite, worn big and loose, is from some crappy clip-joint on Ile De Re, but I have tried this one, Sissy, from Hush and it’s really good.
Or, look, this one from Boden is super, too.
This is brilliant from Topshop – worn with the chinos and the trainers or clogs and some gold hoops: fabulous.
Next you will need an oversized or “Nana” cardigan. You can wear this over the whole lot of the previous outfit on those cold mornings we are getting.
This one from Asos.com
Comes in lots of different colours. Get 3! I have an ancient one from Uniqlo and the amount I wear it I really ought to invest in more.
And this one
Mmmmm, pockets.
I really wish someone would buy this one
Your big cardigan with a plain white t-shirt and some wide-leg jeans like these and some round sunglasses and you’ll be away. (Think sort of 70s mum.)
Another outfit I am really into right now I stole off Fran from Instagram’s The Fashion Lift, which is a bright crazy pencil skirt, hoodie and trainers.
It totally works and p.s. thank god for the return of the pencil skirt?? I look ghastly in anything a-line and not even that great in those pleated midi skirts – if I’m really seriously What-Not-To-Wear honest with myself – so I’m falling on the pencil skirt thing like a crazy.
I have a standard issue Nike hoodie I wear in any hoodie situation (Spike hoodies COMING SOON) like this one here:
Or here is one from good old Hush, with no joey pocket:
Then with that very plain, almost slobby top half you can go freaking wild with the pencil skirt. Mine is vintage and it’s BRIGHT PINK and white in a swirly pattern.
I don’t expect you to spend £300 on this Dries Van Noten thing, but this is the sort of caper that I mean.
Go mad with it. Sequins?
I mean, I’m making these suggestion but I bet you £100 – (okay, £5) – that you have some mad pencil skirt in your wardrobe somewhere that just kind of sits there because you cannot think of what to wear it with. You wear it with a hoodie and some trainers. Or a white t-shirt and some trainers and your nana cardigan. You balance out its audacity by wearing it with something you’d pop to Sainos in, thereby rendering it doubly fabulous.
These are just some of the combinations you can wear all this stuff in:
1 Chinos, blouse, clogs
2 Chinos, white t-shirt, trainers, cardigan
3 Pencil skirt, white t-shirt, trainers
4 Wide-leg jeans, clogs, blouse
5 Wide-leg jeans, white t-shirt, trainers, cardigan
I’m sure there are more but it’s nearly 6pm and I don’t know about you but at the end of a weekend I kind of need a drink.
Has anyone any idea about J Crew sizing ? I’m a 10-12 but even using the size guide I have no idea what to get those lovely khaki chinos in .
Get two sizes! Send one back! This is what I do. Once you KNOW that you will be returning a pair, the actual returning of the pair is less arduous
It isn’t mild autumn weather; it’s normal end of summer weather, for indeed it is summer until 21 Sept, and it is always warm this time of year. Source: I was born in mid-Sept in the blazing sunshine 42 years ago; I was married in mid-Sept in the blazing sunshine 8 years ago, and I have celebrated my birthday and anniversary in the blazing sunshine ever since.
It is ALWAYS hot in September. Always. My husband starts every conversation saying “Esther will now tell you how it is always hot in September.”
Yes we took a UK holiday in mid September every year until confined to school holidays and the weather was always nicer than the August that had just gone.
I love these suggestions. You’d think I’d know what to wear by now, being in my 40s, but I don’t. Now I do – thank you!
I like so much of this. That Topshop blouse! I bought a massive cardigan/coat thing from Zara with a kind of navajo inspired design on it and I almost squealed when I saw Mandy Moore in This Is Us wearing something similar. I’m really coveting all her early 80s looks (glossing over how much her beauty adds to the overall effect) and this all has the same feel.
On a side note, I’ve had a guinea pig diagnosed with some kind of bizarre neurological complaint this afternoon and after trying to sound the note of doom to my children in a way that leaves them prepared, but, you know, with a jolly enough tone so they nevertheless sleep the sleep of the misguidedly hopeful, this post was particularly soothing to stumble across on a Sunday evening, like a bunch of flowers left on a doorstep. I’m still doing summer dresses and jackets so have been fine on that front. H&M have some nice big knitwear in at the moment.
Yes, absolutely. I am still lolling about having a fabulous time in my summer gear tbh
You can get some killer blouses from vintage shops just like some of the ones listed here. I got one for £5 at the weekend very similar to the topshop one- and no one else will have it
Ness certainly shopping vintage for pieces like that is the ideal, but good vintage shops alas aren’t that easy to come by in all areas 🙁
Awww I love that rainbow cardigan sooo much, but £205 for a largely acrylic mix I just can’t do it! Gutted…
I always thought a ‘clip joint’ was a brothel! I’m schooled.
Ha ha! It sounds like it doesn’t it – it’s just somewhere that overcharges you.
Great oufits. But how do you keep white trainers white for more than a pico second?!
1) you don’t wear them for any very muddy or rainy activities 2) wipe any big splatters off with a hot cloth as soon as you can (this really makes a difference) 3) you can give them a more thorough once-over once in a while with bleach. This sounds like insanity but I have looked after my Stan Smiths like this and they’re still looking clean after about 3 years
I have three pairs of those JCrew trousers and they are AMAZING. I don’t want to wear anything else now, all my other trousers are gathering dust in my wardrobe because they just don’t fit as well. Pair with a silk shirt and you’re sorted. Maximum chicness, minimum effort.
Joanna thank you for this excellent and very useful recommendation!! I have had my eye on a pair for ages but got sidelined by those Vince ones.
DO IT you won’t regret it. I have a pair in the green, but also light grey and a very obnoxious mustard yellow. I’m an hourglass with a massive bum, and they come up a bit big in the waist, but otherwise the 28 is a standard size 10. Pockets are a good size too.
You’re so funny. Cheers!
I love your recommendations because it’s prompting me to trawl my extensive (but mostly unworn) wardrobe and finding stuff I had forgotten about. Grey hoodie – tick, silky-ish blouse – tick, chinos – tick, not khaki but hey … am just off to trawl the local charity shops for an oversized rib cardigan. Oh, the thrill of the chase 😉
yes! you v likely own all this already …
You are totally spot on Esther – it’s not what you wear but how you wear it – great outfit mix up suggestions x
Imagine my delight when having just spent the weekend wearing combinations of chinos and blouses, I read this. I bought an amazing black chinoiserie blouse in H&M last week. Got compliments wearing it with my black skinnies and black jacket but it looks good with chinos too.
Thank you.
Also this morning, an email from Toast for a *mid* Autumn sale. 🙄
Those H&M jeans are wonderful. Mine arrived today and fit so well (unusually for H&M). Can’t wait to wear them tomorrow. Thanks Esther!