The Autumn Wardrobe for Men

Autumn is the season a man's wardrobe comes into its own. The cloths grow heavier, the layers more considered, and dressing becomes less about protection from the weather than an enjoyment of it. The aim is not to dress for autumn but to dress of it.

The Cloths of the Season

Begin with cloth. Tweed, flannel, corduroy, lambswool, cashmere — these are the materials of the season, and they ask only to be combined with sense. A flannel trouser wears warmer than a cotton one and drapes better with age. A tweed jacket is not a costume; it is simply the right answer to a cold morning.

The Overcoat

The overcoat is the cornerstone of the autumn wardrobe. A single-breasted camel or mid-grey wool coat, cut clean, long enough to cover a jacket, is worth more than any number of lesser layers. Buy the best you can afford, wear it for a decade, and have it relined when it needs it. It will outlast most things you own.

Knitwear

Fine-gauge merino under a jacket, a chunkier lambswool at the weekend, cashmere when the mood is indulgent. Avoid the logo and the novelty; a plain crew neck in a good colour is the most useful object in any wardrobe. Roll, do not hang — knitwear stretches.

Footwear

Suede returns in autumn, and a pair of brown suede chukkas will carry you from office to evening. A proper lace-up for the city, a country boot for the wet ground. Polish them, keep them on trees, and resole them before they ask.

Accessories

A wool scarf, not too long, in a colour that flatters. Leather gloves that fit. An umbrella that is not disposable. These are the small, daily luxuries that mark a man who has thought about his morning.

A Note on Colour

Build the wardrobe on neutrals — navy, grey, olive, brown — and allow one seasonal colour at a time. Burgundy with grey. Ochre with navy. The autumn palette is generous; do not wear it all at once.