How to Transition Your Wardrobe from Summer to Autumn
Introduction
September weather rarely makes its mind up. Mornings start cool, afternoons can still feel warm, and the forecast changes by the hour. You don't need a new wardrobe for it. A few additional pieces that layer well will get you through windy mornings or mild afternoons. Here are a few of our favourite fabrics and layers that can help you transition into Autumn.
Choose Your Fabric
Jersey and soft cotton are still the base of most outfits at this time of year. They breathe on warm days and layer easily on cool ones. Long sleeve t-shirts in waffle or textured cotton add a bit of warmth without being a jumper, which is exactly what you want when the temperature won't settle.
As the weeks go on, fine and mid-weight knits come back into rotation. A knitted jumper is one of the most useful pieces to have at this time of year. It adds warmth as the day cools and makes a summer outfit look right for autumn without changing everything else. The Brentwood Crew Neck Knitted Jumper is a good option as temperatures begin to drop. You'll find the new season's cardigans and jumpers in our women's knitwear and men's knitwear.
Layer Light, Then Build
Think in layers rather than outfits. Start with the pieces you've worn all summer, a t-shirt, a blouse, a jersey dress, and add from there. A long sleeve top under a dress, a cardigan over a blouse, a light fleece over a tee. Each layer comes off easily when the afternoon warms up.
A long sleeve t-shirt is the piece that makes this work. Worn alone it does a mild day, and layered under knitwear it'll take you deep into autumn. You'll find this season's styles in our women's tops and t-shirts. For men, a long sleeve t-shirt offers a good base layer once the jackets come out.
How to wear: Keep the base light and make the top layer the one you take off. If you need every layer on to be comfortable, you'll be too warm by lunchtime.
The In-Between Jacket
For that stretch where you wear a thick coat and then begin roasting as soon you get indoors, we recommend opting for a lighter jacket. The Barkingside Zip Through Jacket covers cooler walks and everyday layering, while the Hazel Teal Collared Jacket offers a smarter option over jeans. For men, an overshirt does the same job, worn open over a tee on milder days and buttoned up when the wind picks up.
Have a look through our women's coats and jackets and men's coats and jackets for the new season styles.
How to wear: Choose a jacket with room for a light knit underneath.
Keep Your Summer Favourites Going
There's no need to pack summer away yet. The Rowan Dress can keep working into September with a cardigan, tights and boots. The Kael Trouser pairs just as well with a fine knit as lightweight tops worn earlier in the season. A favourite tee keeps going as a layer under an open shirt or sweatshirt.
Jeans work all year round. Our guide to transitional denim clothing covers how to get more from yours.
For the guys who tend to feel the cold a little later in the year, pairing shorts with a long sleeve top is an easy way to stretch them into September.
Sweatshirts for Cooler Mornings and Evenings
Mornings and evenings cool down long before the afternoons do, so a sweatshirt gets a lot of wear at this time of year. The Wilverley Colour Block Sweatshirt is an easy extra layer for cooler starts and evenings.
A crew neck over a collared shirt or blouse gives you a layered look that still feels put together, and a quarter zip lets you adjust as you go, zipped up on the walk out, open by mid-morning. New styles are in our women's sweatshirts and hoodies and men's sweatshirts and hoodies.
More Advice
Yes. A jersey or midi dress works for autumn with a knitted cardigan, tights and ankle boots. Choose darker layers and the same dress reads as a completely different outfit.
Between-season dressing comes down to a few good layers and a jacket that suits the weather in between. The new season pieces are landing across our women's and men's collections now.
Work in layers. Keep your summer base pieces, t-shirts, jersey dresses, lightweight trousers, and add removable layers on top: cardigans, sweatshirts, overshirts and light jackets. Swap sandals for trainers or boots and you're most of the way there.
Cotton jersey, waffle and textured cottons, and fine to mid-weight knits. They breathe when it's warm and hold warmth when layered. Blends with a little stretch also help keep layered outfits comfortable.
There's no fixed date, but fine-gauge knits and cardigans make sense as soon as mornings feel too cool for a t-shirt, usually late August to September in the UK. Save chunkier knits for when the daytime temperature drops too, or you'll end up carrying them by noon.
