ST YLE WATCH

Keep your wardrobe as changeable as the weather

How to ensure your wardrobe is as flexible as the weather

HOW DOES ONE TRANSITION from sunny Tel Aviv to cold, grey Dublin via London for work in just five days? Re-working your wardrobe to suit different climates is a practice we can all master better the more we travel, but the process is always trickier as we roll into a new season.

My head, still in summer mode, says flip-flops and off-the-shoulder dresses to show off tan lines – I’m currently in the airport in Israel sporting both – but at home heritage sweaters and trench coats for autumn is where it’s at... or least where the high street is at.

Entering the autumn fray while nursing a dose of holiday blues is far less painful when you have a new season update to look forward to. Colder evenings are typically accompanied by a desire to wrap up and although I drag out summer for as long as I possibly can so I can prolong floaty dresses, nothing makes autumn more bearable than new collections. Oversized shirts, cashmere jumpers and statement jackets inspired by Alexander Wang and Balenciaga are joined by the puffa jacket and the trench coat in Paris from Celine and Lanvin.

Reworking last season’s hero pieces and mixing them with one or two trend-driven staples from the new season is a good way to perfect the transition. September, though chillier, doesn’t call for winter boots just yet so finding the balance between covering and completely hiding your feet should ease you out of open-toe shoes. The new sole to mate with this season is the block mule. It has just the right amount of height for showing off tanned ankles and covers enough of your feet so they won’t be cold. Worn with cropped jeans or a structured white day dress from Zara’s new collection adds zing to autumn. Topshop also has chunkier styles in grey and black.

Lowering the hemline of your dress is key to tackling colder weather without surrendering to the concept of opaque tights. They can be worn over knitted polo-necks or a frayed shirt. Go for clean architectural lines that will work just as well in the office with a blouse and later for dinner with nothing underneath. Marks & Spencer has some printed versions with romantic V-shaped necklines, while Mango’s collection is more bohemian but still structured and chic.

One of the more dominant trends of AW16 via Celine and Vetements is oversized masculine shirting. Worn crisp and white with wide-leg trousers or creased, with rolled-up sleeves open over a shift dress – both are clever and versatile ways of layering when you need extra warmth. Lastly, a trophy coat is one of the best investments you’ll make all season so consider the trench coat as this season’s winner if you can’t see yourself squeezing into those sportier puffa styles. Joseph, Whistles and Karen Millen are always trusty and timeless investments.

The new sole to mate with this season is the block mule