WHAT TO WEAR THIS WEEKEND

AUTUMN PASTELS

PRESERVE THE SUNSHINE

Just when everyone was expecting a dark palette for winter, designers went and sent pale yellows, soft pinks and mint greens down their autumn/ winter runways. unsettling? Yes. I’m as afraid of colour as the next fashion editor, but this trend makes sense. Pale pastels have just as much power to lift your mood — and your complexion — now as they do in June. so try stepping out in lavender, pale blue or a light wash to bring a bit of summer into the dark days ahead.

ALL DAY AND NIGHT

Look to Rodarte for striking evening-wear inspiration (asymmetric hemlines, statement shoulders and ruffles) and Marni for wearable day outfits (their pink check coat looks great with a simple white t-shirt and jeans) all in sunny, sweet hues. You don’t have to go pastel all over: Loewe’s Puzzle handbag in a range of soft shades is on my wish list.

START WITH SILK

It’s not easy to find the sweet spot. this timeless and easyto-wear silk shirt from Marc Jacobs at Fenwick, £395, is a fantastic place to start. A quick guide is to invest in pastel colours in autumn shapes and styles; wide-leg trousers, A-line skirts, rollnecks and jackets in heavier fabrics so it looks intentional.

top- to- toe pastel looks saccharine, so break it up with navy, grey or classic camel. team with leather or crisp tailoring. If you’re still shy about going too far, pastel accessories, bags and shoes can inject just a subtle hint.

Do not wear with bows, pearls or this season’s ‘must-have’ headbands Avoid twinsets and cardigans (it’s not the 1950s) and anything mohair — soft, fuzzy pieces are harder to wear in these candy colours Keep your outfit streamlined, because superfluous details will make you look fussy Autumn pastels look best in substantial, hard-wearing fabrics such as denim, leather and wool — and they’ll keep you warmer, too Jumper, £130, Jigsaw; silk shirt, £395, Marc Jacobs at Fenwick; trousers, £39.99, Zara; sandals, £85, Whistles