Chic autumn basics - transitional dressing

It’s a quick post from me today, I don’t have much time because it’s Mr MC’s birthday this weekend and we’re going away… but I’ll tell you more about that later. In the meantime I’ve come up with a few more ideas of what to wear as we transition from summer to autumn when the weather’s still relatively warm but unreliable. I’ve collated some chic autumn basics – wardrobe building blocks that don’t immediately look exciting but will work harder than you think. For me this is working from home style but it’s the sort of thing I wear at the weekends too.

Chic Autumn Basics – Transitional Tops

Option 1 – blouses

As you gathered from my post on Tuesday, I pretty much have a formula for this time of year. Unless I have a meeting to go to I tend to wear trousers or jeans with a blouse or a jumper and then add a jacket and heels to make it all look a little more chic. As far as blouses are concerned, I find that I’m currently avoiding cotton partly because I want my outfit to feel fluid rather than crisp but I’m also trying to identify retailers who are sourcing cotton with environmental concerns in mind. So, I skip polyester and opt mostly for silk or viscose. I’m just covering tops and jackets in this post because trousers and jeans are a much more difficult task so I’m hoping you have some from past seasons that you’re happy to wear – at least for now.

Option 2 – lightweight jumpers

There’s nothing groundbreaking about this but have you tried a light jumper in place of a breton? You’ll find it immediately elevates your look. I’m always on the hunt for superfine merino because I don’t find it any hotter to wear than jersey but it looks more pulled together. Here are some options.

White blouse with black stars: wear this with jeans, trousers or a skirt. It’s a loose fit and flattering to the midriff.
Red and aqua blouse: as you know this is one of my favourites and this version with the darker navy pattern would be very versatile
Jersey frill blouse: this is a new discovery and you’ll see me wearing and talking about it in Tuesday’s post (also available in plain navy and patterned versions)
Monochrome animal print blouse (more stock here): a luxury option but it’s timeless, you could dress this up with jeans and heels for a night out too
Neon light merino jumper: you saw me wearing this in Tuesday’s post, it’s bright but I love it (also available in crimson or black)
Deep turquoise light merino jumper: what a beautiful colour to wear with navy, black, grey or brown (also available in off white or black)
Grey light merino jumper: this is great value and there’s bound to be a colour for everyone (available in 9 other colours)
Green light merino jumper: made from responsible wool meaning that both the sheep and land they graze on is tracked and protected (also available in black, grey or pink)

Transitional blazers and boots

Moving on to blazers – and I’ve been asked to find more flat Chelsea Boots so I’ve added those too. I make no apology for the fact that most of these blazers come from the same family. I’m not being lazy, it’s just that I think the cut is brilliant, exactly the right length for this season which means they’re a little longer than in past years but still neat.

You can actually use the blazer and boots to spin your look in two ways. You can either opt for an urban look with a plain blazer (usually black) with glossy boots that look as though they’re intended for pavements rather than muddy lanes. Alternatively you can veer towards tweed and a more rustic vibe for the boots (usually brown) – I’ve found options for both approaches.

Simple grey wool blazer: this is the exception and I’ve added it because I can’t believe it hasn’t sold out – which just shows how badly they promoted it this year. I’ve bought one and it’s a lovely soft textured wool in plain grey, true to size with the iconic red buttonhole detail (also available in brown, beige, black and checked)
Herringbone wool blazer: if you prefer a woven pattern perhaps for a less urban look, this is for you. A little more fitted than the previous one it’s a lovely cut (also available in mustard, green, bright blue and navy).
Navy cord blazer: navy blazers can look and feel a bit school uniform, you generally need some texture to take them into a new league (also available in plum or green)
Black ponte blazer: I have this one and I love the way it moulds to my body. I can wear it comfortably at my desk all day in cooler weather. I don’t have much black in my wardrobe but there’s always a place for a black blazer which can sharpen an outfit up and look very Parisian (also available in navy, yellow or teal).
Brown Chelsea boots with contrast detail: these boots have a panel of leopard at the back and I particularly like the contrasting pop of neon inside the loops
Simple black Chelsea boots: plain and great value with comfortable linings for people who spend a lot of time on their feet
Brown Chelsea boots with brogue detail: the detail on these means that they’re very English country looking and they have great reviews
Glossy black Chelsea boots: the previous pair of glossy boots that I featured sold out very quickly so I’ve found another pair for anyone who likes high shine leather as much as I do

And with that I must dash – sorry it’s so short today but I thought that short was better than not at all. I have a post that I’ve really enjoyed writing coming up on Tuesday though so hopefully that will make up for today’s rush. As I mentioned Mr MC and I are off on a weekend à deux. It’s something I booked back in February before I knew just how much travelling we’d be doing this year. You see he’s about to hit the grand old age of 49 which means we’re starting the countdown to the big Five Oh. Of course he’s not remotely bothered about being 50 but I see it as an excuse for a year’s build up and I’m starting the celebrations as I mean to go on.

So, for a bit of fun, let’s see if you can guess where we’re going. It will be warm, there are horses (although I’m not a horsey person so we may not see them), there may be wild, gypsy style dancing and something rather special to drink. I’ll drop a few more clues on Instagram en route so do join me, as you know I do actually post there when I have something beyond the ordinary to say.

I’ll be back on Tuesday, in the meantime have a lovely weekend – maybe with some wild dancing of your own?