Wearing lately: Autumn Style Uniform #1

As much fun as it’s been to mix things up style-wise with my weekly edits, the reality is that I’ve found myself wanting to revert to one a simple outfit formula. It’s gotten me thinking again about my attitudes to fashion. I’ve admitted my fickleness before, and it’s usually here that it shines through. One week I’m open to trying new things, the next, I crave the comfort of a familiar style uniform. Given I’m no stranger to repeating outfits, I doubt this comes as much of a surprise.

Wearing Marks & Spencer tank, Dr Denim skinny jeans (old but similar), All Saints leather jacket, Everlane day heels, Celine trotteur bag (affordable alternative), Holly J pearl earrings (15% off with code ‘JAMIEXHJ15’), and Mejuri necklace

The outfit I’m wearing above draws on one variation of my autumn style uniform; a sleeveless top + skinny jeans + low heeled pumps + cropped jacket. This type of outfit ticks so many boxes for me, in addition to feeling in proportion and seasonally appropriate too. For a start, it incorporates some of my wardrobe favourites. Any outfit based around my style staples is usually a winner for me, and even better if it’s in a minimal or neutral colour palette. It’s been a hot minute since I last dissected any of my outfits, so I thought I’d break down this style uniform and talk through each element individually.

the sleeveless top

The first visible element of this autumn style uniform is a sleeveless top – whether it’s a knitted tank like the one I’m wearing above, a barely there silk cami, or a crew-neck style that just grazes my collarbones. As much as I’d like to pull out the long-sleeved knits, most days, they just aren’t necessary. Even on a bad day, a Sydney autumn tends to be warmer than a Wellington summer, and it’s only toward the tail end that I get a chance to seriously start pulling out the layers.

This khaki tank is a recent (gifted) addition to my wardrobe, and hasn’t taken long to rise up as a firm favourite. It’s 100% cotton, is rather heavyweight (perfect for the transitional season), and the square necklace feels very on-trend. This has been a piece I’ve paired a lot with jeans of late as despite being <em>green</em>, it’s not too much of a departure from my usual colour palette.

the skinny jeans

My favourite denim silhouette is hands down a skinny jean . Despite being a big part of my style vernacular for almost 20 years, I’m yet to tire of the style. Because I generally like to wear oversized or boxy-fitting tops, a good skinny jean helps to balance out my lower half. The ones I reach for the most would have to be this faded black pair from Dr Denim. They’ve got a super high rise, and I had them tailored to nip in at the ankle. For a clothing item that I’ve worn on repeat for five years, they’ve held up incredibly well. Aside from my Dr Denims, I have a couple of other favourites on regular rotation, including this pair from ASOS, and these ones from Mott & Bow.

the low-heeled pump

I gave up on wearing 10cm heels daily when Luke and I made the move to Sydney a little over five years ago, and I’ve not looked back. It goes without saying, but stilettos stopped being practical for me when my commute became a 45-minute walk each way. But even at 5’8″, I still like to add a bit of height, so my solution has been to opt for a lower heeled pump. I usually like something with a block heel as they’re sturdy and my weight feels better distributed when wearing them. The day heels from Everlane (full review here) are one of my most worn pairs, and I also have some from Charlotte Olympia (old but these are a great dupe) with a pointed toe that are incredibly chic.

the cropped jacket

The final item of this autumn style uniform is a cropped jacket – or in this case, a cropped leather jacket. I purchased this All Saints one during the Black Friday sales last year, and it’s turned out to be one of my favourite purchases I made in 2018. I’d previously owned the mape leather jacket from Acne Studios, but after a couple years of wear it felt a little too boxy and oversized for my then style preferences. This one is in perfect contrast. It’s shorter in length, and cut closer to the body for more of a snug fit.

Do you have an autumn style uniform?