What should you wear when summer is ending but it isn’t quite autumn?
It’s that slightly awkward point between seasons. Mornings are cooler, afternoons can still feel warm, and suddenly the shops are full of new autumn/winter collections telling us what we should be wearing next.
It can be tempting to think that a new season requires a new wardrobe.
At VAAI, we approach it differently.
When customers come in to view VAAI pieces at The 192 Collective and are looking for a wardrobe refresh or thinking about creating a capsule wardrobe for autumn and winter, my first piece of advice is rarely to start by buying something new.
Instead, start with what you already love.
How do you transition your wardrobe from summer to autumn?
Look through your wardrobe and identify the pieces you genuinely enjoy wearing. Which trousers do you repeatedly reach for? Which shapes work particularly well for your body? Which colours make you feel good? Which garments make getting dressed easy?
These are the foundations of your autumn capsule wardrobe.
Equally, be realistic about what isn’t working. If something consistently doesn’t fit properly, doesn’t feel comfortable or simply never gets worn, ask yourself whether it still deserves space in your wardrobe.
The aim isn’t to have more clothes. It is to better understand what works for you.
Start your autumn capsule wardrobe with what you already own
I don’t believe a capsule wardrobe needs to mean a prescribed number of pieces or a wardrobe made entirely from neutrals.
Instead, think about creating a succinct collection of garments that work together and apart.
A pair of trousers shouldn’t have only one top that works with them. A skirt should sit comfortably alongside several shirts, knits and jackets you already own. A new knitted vest might work over a silk shirt, on its own with trousers on a warmer day and underneath a jacket as temperatures fall.
When considering something new, mentally style it with your existing wardrobe.
Can you immediately think of three or four ways you would wear it?
If you can, it is much more likely to earn its place in your wardrobe.
The key to transitional dressing: layering
When the weather can’t quite make up its mind, layering becomes one of the most useful ways to dress.
And importantly, it means the clothes you have been wearing throughout spring and summer don’t suddenly become redundant because September arrives.
A silk shirt can continue into autumn underneath a knitted vest. Add beautifully cut trousers and you have an outfit that works through the day. Later in the season, introduce a jacket, gilet or coat.
A skirt you have worn with a lightweight top during summer might work with a shirt and knit as the temperature changes.
Rather than packing one wardrobe away and bringing another out, allow pieces to gradually move into the next season with you.
This is very much how I think about designing at VAAI. New pieces should sit alongside garments from previous collections rather than making them feel obsolete.
How to introduce autumn colour without replacing your wardrobe
A new season can be a lovely opportunity to introduce colour, but again, start with what you have.
Look at the colours already running through your wardrobe.
Perhaps there is one shade that would bring several existing pieces together. A new knit might completely change the feel of trousers you have owned for years. A silk scarf can introduce colour and texture without requiring an entirely new outfit.
When I’m considering colour, one of the questions I ask is:
Will this work hard enough in the wardrobe?
A considered addition should open up more possibilities within your wardrobe - not require another three purchases before you can wear it.
Build autumn outfits that work from day to evening
Another thing I frequently consider when designing is how women actually live in their clothes.
For many of us, the day doesn’t neatly divide into separate work, social and evening wardrobes.
You might leave work and go straight to dinner with friends. You might be heading to the theatre. You might have an event after a day of meetings and simply not have the time - or inclination - to go home and change.
This is where individual pieces need to work particularly hard.
A silk shirt layered underneath a knitted vest and worn with beautifully cut trousers feels considered enough for work but equally appropriate for dinner afterwards. Remove the knit or change your jewellery and the same outfit takes on a different feel.
A softly structured shirt with a statement sleeve or interesting detailing, worn with a skirt and finished with a silk scarf, can move effortlessly from work to an evening at the theatre.
And then there is the reality of the cold office.
Sometimes you simply need another layer. A gilet can provide warmth without the formality or restriction of another tailored jacket, particularly when you are sitting at a desk for much of the day.
These aren’t separate ‘work’ and ‘evening’ wardrobes.
They are clothes that adapt.
What should you actually buy for autumn?
Only once you understand what you already own would I start identifying what is missing.
And sometimes the answer is surprisingly small.
You may discover that you don’t need another pair of trousers at all. What you actually need is one beautiful shirt that works with three pairs you already own.
Perhaps a knitted layer would allow you to continue wearing several lighter shirts well into autumn.
Perhaps you have plenty of individual pieces but are missing the jacket or gilet that pulls them together.
Or perhaps there is one colour that would make your existing wardrobe suddenly feel refreshed.
Buy what is missing rather than what is simply new.
Common questions about dressing for autumn
How many pieces do I need for an autumn capsule wardrobe?
There isn’t a magic number.
I would rather see a smaller collection of clothes that genuinely work together than an arbitrary capsule of 20 or 30 pieces. Your wardrobe needs to reflect your lifestyle, your body and how often you actually need different types of clothing.
Think in outfits and combinations rather than numbers.
What should I wear when it’s too warm for autumn clothes but too cool for summer clothes?
Keep your lighter shirts, skirts and trousers in circulation and introduce layers gradually.
Knitted vests, lightweight knits, scarves, gilets and jackets allow you to respond to the temperature throughout the day without immediately moving into heavy winter clothing.
What are the best clothes for going from work to dinner in autumn?
Start with pieces that have enough interest to stand alone.
A beautiful silk shirt, an interesting blouse, a well-cut trouser or skirt can form the foundation. Add a knit or gilet during the day and remove or restyle the layer for the evening.
Good day-to-evening dressing shouldn’t require an entirely different outfit.
Do I need to buy a new wardrobe for autumn?
Absolutely not.
Start with the pieces you already wear repeatedly and ask what would allow you to wear them in more ways.
Sometimes one carefully chosen addition can make several existing garments feel new again.
A designer’s approach to building an autumn wardrobe
At VAAI, our motto is “inspired by the women that wear us.”
For me, that means designing around genuine need rather than creating endless newness simply because the fashion calendar tells us it is time for another collection.
It also means listening.
Working directly with women in our London store gives me an understanding of how clothes are actually being worn - what women return to, where they struggle with fit, what they need for work and their lives outside it, and which pieces become the ones they wear again and again.
That feeds directly back into what we design.
It is also why we offer complimentary in-store fittings on our key signature styles. Fit matters enormously to longevity. When a garment fits properly, feels comfortable and works for your body, you are far more likely to reach for it year after year.
Our aim isn’t to persuade you to replace your wardrobe every season.
We would much rather create one piece that earns its place within what you already own - something that can be mixed, layered, dressed up, dressed down and returned to season after season.
So, as autumn approaches and we are once again surrounded by newness, perhaps the most useful question isn’t:
What should I buy this autumn?
Instead, start with:
What do I already love wearing - and what would make it work even harder?
By Creative Director Hetal
