After a long 4-month summer, with no worries except which little top to rotate with your linen trousers or midi skirt- the quandary of what to wear in then autumn comes none less of a shock each year. Although it seems frivolous, deciding what to wear can be a chore and takes up what little space you have left in your mind as the semester begins. When you’re waking up for a busy 9-6 uni day, as the sun hasn’t even risen, compelling yourself up to move from your bed to wardrobe to meticulously select an outfit to make it look like you weren’t cramming for assignments until 5am the night before can seem almost impossible. This is why is is extremely helpful to plan, even if it’s just the night before. Now, the most daunting part of transforming your wardrobe is starting. During the summer, stacking up on summer tops and skirts feels perfectly fine at the time, but when autumn rolls around, your left with pretty much nothing but going out tops and skirts. I have personally fallen victim to this year in and year out. Especially being someone who thrives in the summer, I’m constantly fighting the urge to buy more cami’s and summer dresses to add to the collection. However, I think there is a misconception that you need heaps of clothes to sustain yourself for the winter semester-and this is not in fact true.
A versatile jacket is probably the first item I would ensure on purchasing. The autumn is brisk in Nottingham, its sudden, but you’ll step outside one morning with cold air slapping you right in the face. A warm, thermal jacket is essential, it’s also a staple that’s worth the investment. There are many jackets that trending right now, as there is each season, but which ones are worth your purchase? Some of the jackets trending in 2024 include faux fur, dark wash denim jackets, burgundy leather jackets, carpenter jackets, oversized bomber jackets, quilted jackets, and the list goes on. I understand that with this plethora of options, deciding on what to buy is a chore in itself. My number one recommendation is to buy and wear whatever jacket fits you best/which ever one you feel most comfortable in. Although I have just listed pretty much every jacket currently trending, it is not imperative you wear one of them. Although there may be a certain desire to abide by trends and fit in, especially on campus where its constantly shoved in your face, it’s not the end of the world if you do not conform. Not every item of clothing that ‘trends’ will be personable to you. For example, I’m quite short, measuring up at an astounding 5’2. Therefore, ‘oversized’ jackets have the tendency to simply look the wrong size on me. However, I do personally love brown, as it goes with pretty much anything, so I decided to go with a cropped brown leather bomber jacket. You can extract aspects of these trends and incorporate them into finding your perfect jacket.
Tones such as brown, black and burgundy are timeless and are guaranteed to be trending each season, as with materials such as leather and denim. Investing in anything adhering to any of these characteristics will land you with a jacket you can pull out and rewear annually. Remember, trends are fleeting- if something isn’t up to your personal tastes, do not feel any sort of pressure to buy it, as most likely it will be substituted for something else the following year. Jackets will take up the majority of the spending for you autumn wardrobe but they’re also the most worth it. So, if there is one thing id recommend it would to be to invest in 2/3 jackets you love as trust me, if if you think you won’t, you will need them. To simplify it to just 3- I’d suggest a denim jacket for casual affairs and hanging out with friends, a leather jacket for more dressy occasions and a puffer jacket with a hood, because it is England after all and if there’s one thing we can count on, its rain.
Moving on to day-to-day pieces. You don’t have to abolish your entire summer wardrobe; a lot of pieces can be layered. Take a cami for example, the novelty to pull one out and slip one on with no thought has unfortunately expired. However, getting wear out of them is still not difficult, which introduces my second autumn essential- cardigans. Cardigans aren’t the most obvious but the most essential piece of attire in order to layer. Acquiring enough cardigans that compliment the colour palette of your wardrobe- including your summer one will save you an abundance of time and money. There is a range of styles you can purchase, so your outfits won’t get repetitive and boring, such as crotchet, embroidered, fitted, chunky etc. You can substitute between them depending on what’s going underneath, pair it with some jeans, a jacket and perhaps a scarf and lo and behold an outfit is formed. Some places with a great selection of cardigans include, H&M, Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, Pull&Bear, ASOS and Brandy Melville.
Continuing with this knitwear theme, jumper and scarves are also autumn essentials. Similar, to cardigans there are a range of styles to chose from. They’re also incredibly versatile, there’s no need to lock of your skirts up as jumpers provide the perfect outfit to layer them with. Pieces such as a simple soft knit cream sweater, black mini skirt, black sheer tights, and boots are the prefect concoction to produce an endearingly chic autumn outfit. A jumper, jeans and boots are also a minimalistic, yet chic, timeless outfit that you can never go wrong with, the fact it requires little to no thought, and provides great warmth are just added bonuses. These outfits however don’t necessarily need to be minimalistic, there are ways to make them more maximal. This can be executed using statement jewellery, such as pendant necklaces, large earrings, and chunky rings. Vintage jewellery can be found for a reasonable price on Etsy, vinted and Depop. Although theses are small additions to your outfit, these details can sometimes make all the difference. Especially being a busy uni student, study days where your held up in the library can mean you just want your hair up or you simply don’t want to deal with it. Statement earrings are a terrific way way to draw attention, and they can also make your outfit appear quirkier and more interesting. Another way to make your outfits appear more interesting, is by layering a scarf over the top. This is a simple yet an elevating piece of clothing, that is also practical while combatting the cold. For once, I am singing my praises to a viral trend, but the viral Pull&Bear chunky white scarf is a great option if you are looking for something that will keep you warm while looking put together. Scarves are a great, as well as cheap way to spice up your outfits, so don’t pry from bright colours such as orange and hot pink.
Last but not least, we have footwear. My best piece of advice is boots, boots, BOOTS!!! Investing in a good pair of Doc’s will save you throughout the winter. They are a durable, versatile shoe that you can pair with essentially every outfit. Knee high boots are a great investment too, also (not that it should be an incentive) they are great for nights out.
Hopefully I’ve given you a few ideas to how you can prepare your wardrobe for autumn. Remember don’t be afraid to start!!! It seems daunting at first, but coming from a lazy girl, layering up can actually be a lot easier than assembling outfits in the summer. Have fun and get creative! Your outfits do not have to be as mundane as the season, so what are you waiting for? get styling!