Preparing for Autumn

Well, that happened quick didn’t it!

One second we were basking in glorious sunshine and leaving our coats recklessly at home, the next we’re shivering in a cardigan under an umbrella.

So, in case the weather has left you all of a tizz and confused about your wardrobe, I’ve got a few tips to get it ready for Autumn, and a few essential purchases you can use to bring it up to date!

Shoes

First things first, take all your rope soled espadrilles, wooden platform sandals and flip flops and put them in away in their boxes, cupboards or where ever you keep your shoes.

Secondly think about what are going to be your every day shoes this autumn/winter. Does last years pair still do a good job? Do they need cleaning, reheeling, or even replacing completely? I like a winter shoe I can wear with nude stockings or black opaques without thinking about it and that will be smart and comfortable, but not too officey. That normally means black, with a bit of a chunky heel so I don’t spend all winter in the cobblers, and a bit of detail or a buckle on the front.

If you need a new pair, these are my picks.

❤ Unisa Oban Heels £125 ❤

❤ Clarks Concert Ticket £54.99 ❤

❤ Hush Puppies Black Scalloped Court Shoes £65 ❤

The Stocking Drawer

Be realistic about what you wear on your legs every day (when it’s not trousers) I tend to wear my trusty black/burgundy/grey opaques for running to the shops, going to the supermarket, regular every day stuff that normal people apparently do in jeans. I wear seamed stockings not necessarily just for evening, but for when I’m getting dressed “properly” if I worked in an office with people, instead of in my front room I’d probably wear them there most of the time, for instance. I do find them more comfortable than tights a lot of the time as they don’t dig in! I do also like to have a good stock of exciting novelty tights, just because I do love novelty legs.

So, at this time of year, empty out your stockings and tights, take a look at what you’ve got, throw away any with holes, or turn them into some amazing crafty project because you’re way better than me, then write a list of the stockings and tights you need to fill the gaps and go buy them.

The ultimate for autumn winter leg wear with a vintage twist is, of course, What Katie Did. Their seamed stockings and tights are basics and also come in exciting seam colours.

Basic black opaques can be picked up anywhere, but here’s a few more exciting tights for autumn that I love.

❤ Addy Back Seam Tights £12.48 £8.74 ❤

❤ Jigsaw Backseam Tights £10 ❤

❤  Solid Sheer Vertical Stripe Tights £8.99 ❤

On Your Head

Basically I’ve put this section in because IT’S BERET SEASON! You now officially don’t need to worry about roots, rubbish sets or sheer laziness till Spring. Just whack on a beret!

So dig out your berets. If they need cleaning DON’T put them through the washing machine, you end up with a mini beret (not that I’ve done it, ok, yes I have). Some places recommend dry cleaning, a gentle handwash is probably ok, if you must, and dry them flat. Generally you should just brush them over with a brush to remove dust and bits, and spot clean any bits that have got mucky. Apparently cool water and vinegar is good for this, I’ve never needed to do it!

Berets are super cheap and come in a colour to match everything in your wardrobe. I buy at least 1 every year! All these berets are from Village Hats, but eBay is also worth checking out for basic plain berets in a range of colours.

❤ Flower Beret (in 4 colours) £19.95 ❤

❤  Leopard and Feather Beret £53.95 ❤

❤  Plain Wool Fashion Beret (7 colours) £9.95 ❤

Keeping Warm

I’m not doing coats yet, but it might not be amiss to dig yours out and see if it needs dry cleaning, brushing, lining repairing or any other of those things you forgot to do the last time you wore it.

For me early autumn is mostly about cardigans and jackets. Seeing as we live in England, normally cardigans have seen fairly good service all Summer, but this year has been particularly warm, so you might want to dig yours out, check for bobbling, moths, stinkiness and get them cleaned up. If you DO find the moths have been at your wool cardigan, don’t panic. Make sure you clean the whole drawer out they were kept in, put all affected items through a hot wash, or if they can’t be (like a wool cardigan) then pop it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer, then give them a really good shake outside.

I tend to have a waist length cardigan, and a longer line cardigan that I can button and belt. Blacks and greys are the colours I usually go for, as they’re very versatile, but something more fun is always nice too to go with black dresses and berry shades are very autumnal. Some picks if you need to replace cardigans.

❤Per Una Floral Cardigan £35 ❤

❤  La Redoute Plain Longline Cardigan (comes in 4 colours) £23 £17 ❤

❤  M&S Bobble Button Cardigan (Comes in 9 Colours) £18 ❤

What are your Autumn Essentials?