The heatwaves are finally over, and cloudy skies are back again. In despair for a hot cup of tea to snuggle next to, getting outside can seem the opposite of fun when our wardrobes are still full of summer dresses, jumpsuits, and skirts. But do not despair – welcome in your outfit layering as a styling technique, that will keep you both fashionable and warm this season.
Designers have included in their looks summer pieces (such as bralettes or corsets), accompanied by layers of knits, coats, and shirts on top or underneath. While Burberry and Fendi kept structured corsets on top of knits or relaxed blouse, Jacquemus gave us a hint of summer with a bralette peeking out of an open cardigan and an undone cropped puffer jacket. Chanel has also adopted an undone look to spice up an autumn outfit: a sheer, lace top is revealed underneath an open shirt and coat.
Blazers and suits make for amazing timeless pieces to utilize when experimenting with layering. Dolce & Gabbana and Versace opted for suits when layering an outfit. Versace has showcased multiple layers in their looks by using colour blocking, while Dolce & Gabbana kept their looks neat and classy with the same head-to-toe pattern.
Saint Laurent showed us that a mini leather skirt can easily be paired with knee-high boots and an oversized blazer to keep warm and stylish. Prada has also not given up on skirts by adding layers to the top half of the body: a shirt is classily paired with a knit on top. For a modern twist, the look is kept monochrome and completed by an oversized blazer on top of all the other clothes, hinged at the waist with a statement belt.
While the runaway can be a true inspiration, gripping a technique such as layering can be daunting. To be sure that you achieve your desired look, we have selected four outfits that are compiled of different amounts of layers and colour palettes – while we love beige and black for autumn, we believe that they are not ruling the season this year.
Layer Look 1
Colour blocking is the best way to show the multitude of layers your outfit has. But being colourful does not mean the opposite of a classic look. A midi skirt paired with a fine-knit turtleneck and a crisp white shirt is the perfect office combo. Keep it simple by pairing the outfit with minimal jewellery and a white envelope bag. Finish the look with daring yellow knee-high boots.
Top: Christian Wijnants, Turtle neck jumper, (£377.00)
Shirt: Maison Margiela, Cut underarm button-up shirt, (£570.00)
Skirt: Balenciaga Pleated elastic skirt (£1075)
Boots: Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Yellow Kline Boots, (£900,00)
Bag: Gucci 1955 Horsebit wallet in chain (£700,00)
Earrings: Tory Burch, Miller Huggie Hoop Earrings, (£70.59)
Rings: Filament, Set of 5 Stacking Rings, (£22.46)
Bracelet: Gigi Clozeau, 18k yellow gold Classic Gigi black beaded bracelet, (£120.00)
Scrunchie: Jil Sander, Hair scrunchie, (£170,00)
Layer Look 2
Suits are a staple of our autumn wardrobe and they are the easiest piece to utilize for layering. Usually, we like to pair them with a coat in the same colour for a neat look. This classic look can be accessorized with a vintage-inspired bag, such as the popular Staud bag and gold jewellery – you can use a modern chain instead of a dainty necklace for a more powerful and modern outfit. Finish the look with a masculine shoe – we absolutely love Tod’s brogues.
Coat: Toteme Studio, Annecy coat camel, (£800.oo)
Blazer: Baum Und Pferdgarten, Bryony fi5ed blazer, (£422,00)
Top: Cami NYC, The Everly lace-trimmed silk-charmeuse camisole, (£185.00)
Trousers: Baum Und Pferdgarten, Mid-rise flared trousers
Bag: Staud Bisstt Bag Garnet Croc Embossed, ($131.25)
Shoes: Tod’s Lace Up Leather brogues, (£439.00)
Earrings: Chloe, Gold Darcey Baroque Earrings, (£415.00)
Necklace: Laura Lombardi, Gold Calle Necklace (£250.00)
Belt: Laura Lombardi, Amara gold-plated belt (£420.00)
Layer Look 3
Even with layering, you can still achieve a sexy look. A fitted jumpsuit paired with with back knew high boots will enhance your figure. For extra warmth, add a classic shirt underneath the jumpsuit, keeping the sleeves undone – they will reveal your motorbike inspired gloves (we did not expect that either). To define the waist, add a statement belt. To finish the look, pair it with sunglasses, a pouch bag, and a khaki leather coat.
Coat: H&M Imtation Leather Jacket, (£49.99)
Shirt: Aspesi, Oversized striped shirt, (£204.00)
Jumpsuit: Galvan, Signature corset jumpsuit, (£995,00)
Boots: Prada, 65 Leather Ankle Boots, (£795,00)
Bag: Bottega Veneta, The Pouch, (£1,990)
Gloves: Manokhi, Two-tone cut-out detail gloves, (£219.00)
Belt: Loewe, Reversible Leather Belt, (£450,00)
Chocker: Gucci, Patent- Leahter silver tone and crystal chocker, (£240.00)
Sunglasses: Dior, Tortoiseshell DiorLink1 Sunglasses, (£320,00)
Earrings: Miu Miu, Star motif drop earrings (£265.00)
Layer Look 4
If you are just starting to experiment with layering, we recommend to always go for a statement, warm coat that can be paired with a basic T-shirt. You can look effortlessly sexy by going for a leather midi skirt and black high heels to accompany the outfit. Keep your makeup minimal by adding some sunglasses.
Coat: Stand, Nino long Check Coat, (£499.oo)
T-Shirt: Vetements, Oversized logo-print t-shirt, (£230,00)
Skirt: Nk, Leather Mestico Fay midi skirt, (£2,047.00)
Shoes: Jimmy Choo, Black Patent Love 100 Heels, (£495,00)
Bag: Saint Laurent, Black Round Jade Camera Bag, (£800,00)
Sunglasses: Loewe, Pink Acetate Oversized Sunglasses, (£285,00)
Earrings: Fendi, Zucca stud earrings, (£170,00)
Necklace: Justine Clenquet, Silver & Gold Gemma Necklace, (£90,00)
Anklet: Petite Grand, Radiance anklet, (£103,00)
Ring: Marc Jacobs, The Logo Stack ring (£90,00)
Ring: Versace, logo embellished ring, (£200,00)
Words and Edit by Emilia Roman
Graphics and Edit by Lucy Gifford
