Autumn wear set to be more relaxed

I know it’s super warm (and wet) at the moment and the furthest thing from my mind should be autumnal fashion but there’s something about this time of year that has me always compiling my wish list of items I’ll be wanting to wear in the coming months.

I’m no longer interested in the last bits of summer stock and it feels wrong to be buying clothes that realistically I’m not going to be getting much wear out of at the moment.

Now I must say, if I see a real bargain in the summer sales, I will make a purchase and put it away for next summer. Things like light jackets and dresses in prints like florals, stripes and polka dots that I know I’ll get the wear out of the following summer. However it’s so exciting to see autumn/winter stock that I’m really more focusing my attention on that at the moment.

One thing that’s always top of my A/W shopping list is knitwear and this season I am all about the knitted dress. Combining comfort and style, it’s perfect for those still working from home but also great if you’ve made a return to working outside the home.

I managed to pick up a cream v-neck slim fitting dress in Penneys recently and I’ll wear it in early autumn with a khaki military jacket and trainers and once the weather cools down sufficiently, I’ll be airing it with my coat and a pair of tan ankle boots.

These knit dresses are also great for layering and I’ll be popping a selection of light printed roll necks under mine to give the illusion of a sleeve when one is necessary. They also look great belted which is another easy way to add a bit of print or colour to the look should the mood take you. More often than not the knit dress will be ribbed and fitted and this lends itself perfectly to be worn with a barely there sandal or heeled boot for a look that’s perfect for dinner and drinks.

In a similar vein to the knitted dress, I’m also loving a sweatshirt dress and there’s lots of great options out there. Never Fully Dressed are doing a whole collection of sweater dresses in neutral tones of beige, grey and a sage green. H&M have also some really lovely sweater dresses in shorter lengths with some coming with cute statement collars attached.

I’ve also got a few of their sweatshirts on my list including a fab black version with Peter Pan collar. Wear with jeans for a relaxed look or with a leopard print skirt and boots for a more dressed up feel.

Overall I’m feeling a much more relaxed style this season and it seems like people are definitely investing their wardrobe budget in classic pieces like coats, boots and general wardrobe staples including loungewear but with more elevated fabrics like knits and cashmere.

I personally feel like I could sell coats and boots so I will probably skip buying any of these and just replenish the knitwear pieces that I like to wear. I’ll also be using styling tricks to update my already existing wardrobe and one look I’m really loving is belting coats, blazers and knitwear to cinch in the waist. It almost has a ‘70s feel to it.

So top of my list will be a good belt like the GG reversible belts from Silk Peaches. Two belts in one, what’s not to love?