Menswear Layering for Autumn / Winter
You’ll always want to start with lightweight, fitted (not tight) layers as a foundation. For casual days, our Palmela tee is a great all-rounder, or the Moreira cotton poplin shirt works as a more polished base.
A lightweight jumper, cardigan, or an overshirt is the next step, and on warmer days this might be all you need. Keep an eye on cuffs and necklines – you don’t want to wear a collared sweater with a classic button up shirt, as the collars will compete and create an awkward bulk. Equally, two tight buttoned cuffs will be uncomfortable to wear on top of each other, so it's best to layer something with more stretch or a looser opening over fitted shirt sleeves.
Ensure that you can move your arms with ease, as you don’t want to feel any discomfort, or to have fabric bunching up in places where the outer layer is too tight and pulling (particularly in the shoulders and arms).
The outer layer is where you can really play with shape, structure, and heavier weight knits.
For chillier days, a gilet or a suede jacket are autumn staples, while a blazer over a light merino wool jumper will look sharp for office days or special occasions.
In the depths of winter, a wool overcoat or shearling jacket will keep you cosy for the outdoors, while being easily removable to cool off quickly on a hot train or in a heated indoor space.
Layering isn’t just about the individual items – it’s also about how they work together. It’s a great way of figuring out your personal style, and an opportunity to play around with textures, colours, prints and shapes to level up your outfit.
To look effortlessly put together, keep your layers within a similar range of tones – either all in one shade for a colour blocked look, or a mixture. Cooler hues like blues, greys and whites naturally pair well together, while warmer tones of beige, brown, khaki green, and deep reds tend to be complementary.
You’ll want to ensure you’re mixing textures to keep the look interesting, so experiment with cotton, wool, flannel, quilting, suede etc. rather than layering wool over more wool for example. Think a merino wool sweater over a crisp cotton shirt, or a soft flannel overshirt over a jersey cotton t-shirt.
With prints and patterns, it’s best to make one print the focal point of your outfit, whether it’s a checked overshirt or a houndstooth coat.
