Having a meltdown in front of the wardrobe isn’t my favourite hobby — but I cannot say do not indulge from time to time.
And there is no better moment to enact the whole, wailing “I hate every single thing I own” finale number than the descent into winter: a time that requires extra layers and is, invariably, more public facing.
If you find yourself in this predicament, the important thing is to remember that you don’t despise it all. You might be in need of a little freshness, however — and perhaps should put some items in boxes until next year.
I interviewed fashion designer Bella Freud about her M&S collaboration two weeks ago, and her approach to wardrobe updating stuck with me.
“It’s important to have new clothes from time to time because you need to reinvent yourself slightly in order to stay interesting to yourself,” she said. New clothes don’t need to be brand new, remember: vintage shops, Vestiaire and Vinted are friends.
“It doesn't have to be a whole new outfit, either” she continued. “Just something that you feel kind of a bit thrilled about.”
Below, find a handful of high street suggestions (which can be scouted second-hand) guaranteed to add some interest to your coming months.
Try a scarf-coat
A novel invention, and gentle departure from the old faithful wool overcoat: it’s basically an iteration of them with a scarf attached. Their instant coordination ability is the superpower. You’ll look more put together immediately. They were made popular by Stockholm label TOTEME, and their £810 (net-a-porter.com) style became one of the fashion set’s status symbols last year. The high street has duly copied this design, with tempting options coming from John Lewis, who make a charming, simple navy number; M&S, who have the closest design to TOTEME’s; and COS, where the coat is more elevated and part of their runway collection. Knee-length, and in wool with leather trims — it is a cocooning win.
Top three scarf coats:
Crop Scarf Coat, £55.20, johnlewis.com
Textured Detachable Scarf Wrap Coat, £75, marksandspencer.com
Leather-Trimmed Wool Scarf Coat, £300, cos.com (also lead image)
A smart (but not loud) boot
The big boot dilemma wings around every year. For 2024, though, the mood feels quieter (yes, a bit more demure). That means pass on huge stompers and avoid the neon shades Ganni made popular in previous seasons. When shopping, just think: simple, black boot. It’s much more Parisian. Massimo Dutti’s flat Chelsea boots are timeless, while COS do a smart, vintage riding iteration for anyone more adventurous. And if it was added height that drew you to bulkier stomping variations before, Sézane’s Lena Low Boots offer a little platform (£200, sezane.com) without drawing “statement” attention — as do Ba&sh’s Coda pair.
Top three black boots:
Leather Ankle Boots, £159, massimodutti.com
Coda Chelsea Boots, £380, ba-sh.com
Leather Riding Boots, £270, cos.com
Buy a basic cashmere jumper
Every high street label will tell you that their cashmere is best. The truth is, a lot of them are very, very good now — and have had to pull down their prices to compete with cashmere king Uniqlo. You can wear a dark cashmere jumper in almost every occasion, pretty much every day now until spring. The cost per wear is fantastic. As for care, luxury label N.Peal told The Standard to wash your cashmere no more than once a month, or after about every 10 wears, due to its natural antibacterial properties, and when storing it, keep it with cedar balls and in a cotton storage bag to prevent moths (more helpful cashmere tips can be found here).
As for shopping, Uniqlo has gone nowhere. Theirs are £79.90 and come in every shade. Their new creative director Clare Waight Keller, previously of Givenchy, suggests you invest in one new colour each year. Start with your black, navy and creams then branch out to red, green or purples. If you want the Prada runway look, layer a cashmere cardigan in another bright colour on top.
Top three cashmere jumpers:
Cashmere Crew Neck Jumper, £79.90, uniqlo.com
Pure Cashmere Textured Crew Neck Jumper, £89, marksandspencer.com
Brushed Cashmere Crew Neck Jumper, £250, reiss.com
Wear a Boho, slouchy suede bag
Boho’s return was big news back in summer, and thanks to the high flying new creative director at Chloé, Chemena Kamali, it was the hottest look this autumn as well. But given its floaty-blouse and dress-centric nature, it is hardly the first thought when it comes to dressing up for, say, a Christmas market. Adding boho-chic accents to your look works well, however — big, brown suede sack bags are a great place to start. Coach’s Brooklyn shoulder bag (£495, harveynichols.com) was the second hottest product in shopping app Lyst’s Q3 2024 report, which dropped last month (lyst.com). Autograph have a popular style that looks similar, while Iris Law and Katie Holmes have both worn Dune’s woven Deliberate XL bag. Get the Chloé look by adding golden charms — Kamali loves shells and pineapples.
Top three suede bags:
Suede Tote Bag, £130, marksandspencer.com
Deliberate XL Extra Large Woven Shoulder Bag, £150, dunelondon.com
Bobbi Slouch Suede Tote, £88, freepeople.com
Keep your party frocks demure
The demure trend was a silly TikTok fad at the end of August, but it touched on something bigger. After two years of all-out naked dressing, the tide finally appears to be turning back towards wearing clothes that conceal some of the body at night. Shock horror, etc. Sienna Miller’s second collaboration with M&S launched last week and includes a great, ruched, green satin dress, while Kate Moss’ party Zara collection, out November 30, will be an LBD mecca — the one she models in the teaser image is decidedly shoulder covering. Jigsaw is also home to some sophisticated dresses that teeter towards the conservative.
Top three demure party frocks:
Satin Ruched-Detail Maxi Dress, £79, marksandspencer.com
Kate Moss for Zara, out November 30, zara.com
Satin Crepe Midi Dress, £140, jigsaw-online.com
Suit up in a tweed blazer
The most fabulously dressed art world movers and shakers came clad in tweed blazers during London Frieze Week in October. It went a long way in proving this can be a smart, international look and not one reserved for the Cotswolds. Me+Em’s extremely popular version is great, but at £450 it is also hardly a pinch. Soeur and Maje also make nice ones on the upper end of the high street, but you will not have to take a loan out for those by Mango, & Other Stories and Sézane.
Top three tweed jackets:
Deconstructed Cardigan Blazer, £450, meandem.com
Sevres Jacket, £395, soeur.uk
Houndstooth checked blazer, £79.99, mango.com
