Don’t be fooled by the mild autumn. Winter is coming. Which means you need a wardrobe overhaul, to counter rougher weather and fashion’s fickleness.
If you haven’t had time to assess the trickle of AW15 drops, consider this your crib sheet. If you only buy 10 things this season, make them these.
Shearling
In terms of the runway trends, shearling was inescapable, but it hasn’t quite translated into streetwear. The shearling coat is your obvious choice, and Jil Sander, Tom Ford and Burberry Prorsum all provide excellent options.
If the bank balance won’t stretch, made-in-the-UK brand Private White V.C. is offering a superb car coat with oversized shearling lapels for £795, while Reiss’ new premium line also features a thigh-length shearling jacket for under a grand, or an all-black biker take, if you worry you’ll look too much like Del Boy.
If that’s still too much sheepskin, a shearling collar on a denim jacket is subtler; Wrangler, Lee and Nudie Jeans all have excellent take that nod to the trend – and won’t clear out your savings.
reiss aw15
Luxury Trainers
Designer trainers aren’t so much a trend, more a modern status symbol. The mushrooming array of hook-ups between high fashion and sports brands should be your first stop, especially if your tastes are more outré – kicks from Adidas x Rick Owens and the Yohji Yamamoto-helmed Y-3 are especially high impact.
If you’re more minimalist, then look to brands like Common Projects and Filling Pieces, which provide a chic (and safer) alternative.
Filling Pieces aw15
Wide-Leg Trousers
The tide is finally turning against skinny jeans. E. Tautz, Balenciaga and Joseph have great wide-leg options in everything from pinstripe to denim this season, although the price tags mean that it’s a trend you’ll have to really commit to.
Key to pulling them off is balance: chunky shoes and knits echo the extra fabric swirling around your legs, and a jacket with a nipped-in waist and shorter hem will slim your silhouette, countering the billow down below.
bally aw14
A Sleek Backpack
You’re after luxe, not hiking – premium fabrics, sober colors and no more than one outer pocket.
Thankfully, what looks spendy isn’t always; you can find great, budget options from brands like Mi-Pac and Herschel, as well as high street favorites such as
For more of an investment piece, Porter-Yoshida & Co, WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie and Miansai will ensure it’s a trend you can carry for a decade.
Burton Aw15
Smart Boots
A perennial trend – even high fashion needs to nod to wet weather – this season’s footwear is chunky.
Trickers’ Burford Derby Boot is a classic style that, in either black or brown, will last you a lifetime. For something sleeker, Chelsea boots from the likes of Loake, R.M. Williams and Grenson are investment pieces that won’t date and work as well with your suit as your denim.
River Island Aw15
Statement Jeans
The last few years have been all about selvage, but now that those jeans you’ve not washed for two years are starting to show some ‘personality’, brands are following suit.
Heavily patched pieces from Junya Watanabe nod to the Gold Rush prospectors who’d repair theirs until they fell apart, and the fits and washes from Levi’s Vintage Clothing draw on the brand’s unrivaled archive. Which ensures the story your jeans tell is worth listening to, even straight off the rack.
scotch & soda Amsterdams Blauw aw15
Cashmere
The perfect layering tool, this super-fine fabric adds heat without bulk. Though the high-end stuff from brands like Brunello Cucinelli can stretch to four figures, Uniqlo and M&S offer excellent versions that won’t break the bank.
For something more on-trend, opt for a roll neck in bottle green, grey or camel. Alternatively, if that lottery win is burning a hole in your pocket, an oversized Acne cashmere coat will still keep you warm once you’ve splurged the cash on holidays.
Marks & Spencer Best of British Aw15
A Camel Overcoat
The camel coat has almost reached saturation point, but is swiftly transitioning from trend to staple. If you’re in a suit more than sweats, look for something cut as slim as your tailoring.
Streetwear guys, on the other hand, should steer drapey; softer shoulders with fabric hanging, not hugging, will pair with a hoody to class-up your downtime looks. Well, it works for Yeezy.
Suitsupply aw15
A Sweatshirt
Thanks to the trend for luxe sportswear, the humble sweatshirt has been elevated beyond your hangover outfits and into the realms of high fashion.
Contemporary French labels Ami and A.P.C. offer some understated logo options for those that like to showcase their allegiance, while J.Crew and
J.Crew aw15
Corduroy
Get this trend wrong and you’ll look like a geography teacher. Get it right and you’ll look like you just stepped off the
If you fancy investing then look to Maison Kitsune’s shearling trimmed corduroy jacket (bundling trends is a menswear power move), or consider a well-cut blazer in an autumnal colorway (think teal, burgundy or bottle green) from the likes of Richard James or Burberry.
At the other end of the price spectrum, both Mango Man and John Lewis offer an excellent selection of corduroy trousers and casual shirts in a variety of colorways and cuts, which will help bolster your off-duty wardrobe.
House Of Fraser aw14
