The best way to navigate tricky transitional dressing? The big trend right now is to layer up a capsule wardrobe of simple, stylish pieces. does the fashion maths

Amy E Williams

We should be experts at layering, us Brits, especially during this inbetween time of year. Ever prepared for a blustery morning followed by a balmy afternoon, the notion of adding on and peeling off should be second nature. But, boy, is layering trickier than it looks. In reality it is far from a case of bunging a coat-over-a-cardie-over-a-camisole and hoping for the best; fabrics must be carefully chosen, proportions well-judged and accessories cleverly added.

Played right, it will make you look enviably pulled-together; slimmer, taller, smarter, younger. Get it wrong and the opposites could all be true – at worst, we’re talking walking jumble sale.

Luckily, thanks to a high street bursting at its neatly sewn seams with brilliant basics, it is easier than ever to build a layer-friendly wardrobe. By investing in a foundation (the word most oft used by fashion experts when it comes to the art of layering) consisting of easy-to-wear pieces that complement those you already own, and following some simple rules, layering can become less of a conundrum and more a daily solution to looking spot-on.

Eileen Fisher, a US label that opened its first UK stores five years ago, is a brand whose entire raison d’être is providing versatile, suit-all, trend-free separates, which, while working individually, are best teamed together. You could do worse than turn up at an Eileen Fisher store and stock up on each one of its seven wardrobe icons: a tunic, a kimono-style wool jacket, a slim, sleeveless knit, a stretchy pencil skirt, a long cardigan and a simple knee-length dress. ‘We spend a great deal of time building brilliant, essential foundation pieces,’ the brand’s director of merchandising Tracy Breslin says. ‘The way we see it, the whipped cream on any outfit is the easy part, whereas the basics are harder to get right – and that is where we come in.’

According to Tracy, the key to great layering is getting your proportions right: ‘I like the idea of dramatic proportions,’ she says, but advises to avoid swamping yourself. Tactical layering should be slimming, so if you are wearing wide-legged trousers, team them with, say, a close-fitting shirt, fine-knit cardigan and tailored jacket. Flip the look around and a voluminous cape worn with an oversized shirt and a chunky knit works only if paired with a pencil skirt, skinny jean or cigarette pant.

And it goes without saying that the finer the