This is exactly how to wear your summer clothes in-between seasons

The in-between season is here: summer hasn’t yet fully passed, but temperatures are a bit erratic. While Instagram consistently reminds you of your friends’ overseas expeditions to The Canaries and beyond, for you, summer is practically over. And though you love your dainty spaghetti strap top from Zara, the expensive one-off summer-buy from Sandro and those vintage open-toed sandals you thought you’d never find, the idea of wearing them now is less-appealing by the cloud-covered minute. You don’t have to be out of pocket or wardrobe ideas for the coming season though. In fact, it’s actually very easy to incorporate your summer wardrobe into your autumn one.

If the recent round of fashion shows from London, Milan and Copenhagen are anything to go by, delicate Merino wool, barely-there socks (also called “crystal” socks) and clever layering are powerful tools with which to take your favourite summer pieces with you into the new season.

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So don’t tuck away the skinny spaghetti straps, capped sleeves, delicate lace or marinières just yet, there’s plenty more sartorial opportunity to come.

Knitwear it

Corduroy button top, €32 at topshop.com, off-the-shoulder colour-block cotton sweater by Monse, €464 at net-a-porter.com

The key to cracking transitional, seasonal style is light layers. Light knitwear such as this tri-colour off-the-shoulder jumper from Monse is an ideal cure for a midday wind-chill. There’s a real seductive power to an off-the-shoulder jumper, too, and bare clavicles are the new, sexy point of interest. The addition of a delicate silk scarf gently tied in a French twist is an additional layer of grown-up sophistication.

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Layer it

Checked crop top, €9.99 at zara.com, pinstriped shirt, €89 at uterque.com

Contrary to popular belief, the sole purpose of a crop top is not to expose the midriff (shock/horror). Take this checked crop top above: on first appearances, it seems to show a lot of skin, revealing both bare shoulders AND a bare midriff. But layering a sturdy, structured shirt beneath is a grown-up way of channelling Clueless‘ Cher Horowitz, while remaining appropriate for water cooler chat.  The subtle check print is a good way of incorporating suited style into your work-drobe too, without going full-on three-piece.

Socks ‘n’ sandals it

Lisa red leather slingback, €350 at byfarshoes.com, sheer striped navy sock, €7 at cosstores.com, sheer tartan socks, €5 at topshop.com red stripe sports socks, €5 at topshop.com

It might seem frivolous to be talking about the mundane sock, but socks are your secret arsenal for AW18 wardrobe perfection. Socks are tiny but powerful vehicles for channelling your personal style and are not just a wardrobe afterthought. With each passing season, designers are focusing more on the modest sock as a source of inspiration and the anchor of an outfit. For SS18, Jill Stuart dressed up a modern tea dress with neat laser-cut socks and a popping shoe, while Gucci took inspiration from the 1980s, harmoniously teaming mid-heel loafers and a shell tracksuit with punchy mustard knit socks. Here’s a thought for you; before you buy your next value packet of five-pair basic woollen grey socks, consider stepping outside your comfort zone. Instead, polka-dot it, zig-zag it and stripe it.

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