The Chic List: My winning autumn formula

Updated: 13:05 BST, 2 September 2023

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One sweltering night at the end of summer in beautiful Corfu, we had pulled out all the stops to prepare dinner for friends.

Sea bream and vegetables were in the oven, chilled wines were uncorked and three ravenous ten-year-old boys were licking their lips in anticipation.

Then – thunk! – a power cut. This is common in Greece and at our holiday rental it was a total wipeout. Pitch blackness. No lights. No air-con. No fridge. No cooker. No wi-fi. And, bizarrely, no flushing loos.

There was nothing else for it but to stagger off to bed by iPhone torchlight and lie there roasting while fending off an army of blood-hungry mosquitoes. Nobody got any sleep that night.

To distract myself, I did what every fashion journalist turns to in times of discomfort – style scrolling.

Jacket, Nili Lotan; trousers, Cos

With beads of sweat pricking my forehead, I read posts full of excitement about autumn wardrobes.

The Duchess of Sussex was pictured in a pair of white Frame skinny jeans (hopefully they’re not making a comeback) and her Max Mara wool camel coat – despite the Californian sunshine.

For weeks now, lots of other celebrities have been photographed wearing their autumn/winter boots. That’s fashion for you – always racing to the next destination.

I love autumn and its crisp golden browns, but I’m more a toe-dipper than a rushing headfirst kind of gal. And I’m always a little broken when summer ends.

But I am looking forward to the new season because there is a plain-speaking chic about autumn’s most wearable looks that, at first glance, appears formulaic.

Joyfully, collections are now being made to last rather than be forgotten about next year.

Take one grey hoodie and pair it with a strong-shouldered camel coat and leggings, like a Miu Miu girl. Or team baggy blue jeans with a trench or pinstripe navy blazer.

Among the greys and blacks, red, yellow, metallics and sequins are shining bright.

Classic style icon Carolyn Bessette Kennedy could easily be the poster girl for the new collections

And I’m excited to accessorise my autumn outfits with a big soft clutch, pointed flats, slouchy knee-high boots and heeled Mary Jane shoes.

Timeless has been the watchword in fashion for a while now. My fashion hero Carolyn Bessette Kennedy could easily be the poster girl for the latest collections.

We’ve all shifted to a more conscious approach to getting dressed – and there has never been a better time to seek out investment buys.

@thestylistandthewardrobe

@youmagazine

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