Who knows what the weather will be doing when you read this. Might be warm, might be cool, could be sunny but cold in the shade. No surprises there.
We don’t live in Florida and we expect nothing less than unpredictable weather as summer moves into autumn.
Still, it makes getting dressed a little trickier. Certainly you can add a jacket and keep a gilet in reserve, but adding wintry layers isn’t necessarily the mood we’re in at this stage of the season. If you want to stay looking sharp, and not too wintry, the answer is an Inbetween Top. Later on it will become a really useful foundation.
This autumn/winter there are four Inbetween Tops vying for a place in our wardrobes:
A stylish Laura Whitmore
1. Little bright sweater
The one with the purest fashion pedigree, and the centrepiece of several looks on the Prada catwalk is a round neck, short or long sleeve sweater in colours like apple green or forget-me-not blue (clashing colour cardigan, optional). Happily Marks & Spencer has done a long-sleeved version in the same shade of blue, that same green and a bright chilli red (£85, marksandspencer.com).
This is a between-season no brainer that will update your look and add a shot of distinctly autumn 2024 colour. Sling it around your neck, or even double up: the red sweater with the forget-me-not blue one knotted around your shoulders.
For a short sleeved cashmere sweater in a softer blue try Zara (£79.99, zara.com). It’s also worth taking a look at The White Company’s cashmere: it has a range of sweaters in all the shades of brown from mole to chocolate including a short sleeve top (£89, thewhitecompany.com) in burnt almond.
Kate Middleton in her go-to Breton top
2. Quality Breton top
Never in the history of the Breton striped top have there been so many on the high street, and that’s because you can dress them up or down and they’re particularly useful when a T-shirt is too little but a sweater or a jacket is too much.
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We all know the Duchess of Cambridge relies on hers for every informal occasion because a Breton is more structured and smarter than a regular T. We keep returning to this marine classic because it has fashion credit the way a Chanel jacket does. (Madame C was, of course, the designer who brought the fisherman’s staple into our wardrobes.)
I recommend the white stripe on a navy background rather than the navy on ivory (more flattering, and better in autumn) and then wearing it with tailored trousers, smart jeans, a pencil skirt, jermudas (jean bermudas), whatever floats your boat.
The labels that won’t let you down or be either too heavy or skimpy include Boden (£28, boden.co.uk) and La Redoute (£19, ladredoute.co.uk).
I couldn’t help catching a glimpse of actress Keira Knightley crossing the road the other day wearing wide jeans and a navy with white stripes Breton top with a big chunky shiny gold chain necklace on top; the overall effect was as chic and glamorous as an LBD and pearls. At 39, she’s younger but a grown-up, and a very stylish one, so no harm in Us copying.
Autograph merino wool cable knit vest, £49.50, marksandspencer.com
3. Sleeveless sweater
I’ve mentioned the merits of a sleeveless sweater or tank top many times, but mention it again I must, because there is no easier way to add colour, texture and neaten up your silhouette, and this time of year is made for sleeveless sweaters. You’ll find good flattering styles (not too thin and not too chunky) at Marks & Spencer and Uniqlo, and while navy is always a good bet you can beef up your autumn style points by going for a shade of coffee and wearing it with layers of browns and creams.
Try M&S’s cappuccino cable knit vest (£49.50) or its textured trellis sleeveless sweater in fern green (£27.50). For later in the season get one with a high funnel neck to wear under a grey wool or tweed jacket like Whistles’ style (£60, johnlewis.com).
Nicole Kidman in a boxy jacket
4. Boxy light jacket
This is a plain cropped jacket with a shirt collar you wear with a T shirt underneath and then, when the weather cools down, a medium weight high necked turtleneck.
The best this season are in double-face wool in a go-with-everything autumnal brown. Cos does a great version (£135, cos.com) as does Massimo Dutti (£169, massimodutti.com) and M&S’s hits the spot in a warm shade of caramel (£129).