Shopping for the new season? Put down the winter coat and focus on autumn instead

I'm not sure if that ‘back to school' panic ever leaves you, the adult equivalent of that trolley dash around WH Smith for new protractor sets being the sudden realisation that your summer dresses and sandals now feel completely out of place in the office or out at dinner. As a result, it’s easy to shop badly at this time of year, either buying more than you need, or pieces that you don’t really love, lest everything sell out.

With all this in mind, many of us end up shopping for winter as soon as September looms, and forgetting autumn completely. But this year, I'm determined to tune out all the white noise of “‘new season trends”’ and actually shop for the season ahead. The fashion industry might package ‘autumn/winter’ together, but while the temperature has definitely dropped, it’s not yet cold enough for a proper coat, and may not be until November - and as this summer proved, there are no foregone conclusions in British weather-predicting.

From top: heeled sandal, ￡99, Uterque; By Far leather slingback,  ￡325, Net-a-Porter

Firstly, to footwear. It’s only a fortnight since I was sunning myself by a pool, so tights and boots feel incredibly premature. Instead, look for closed-toe, open- heel pumps: my colleagues Lisa Armstrong and Bethan Holt are currently working out a rota for wearing By Far’s Danielle pumps (￡325, net-a-porter.com) to avoid twinning, while I’ve fallen for the Soraya by French brand Carel (￡227, carel.fr).

Usually, I get more wear out of my summer dresses in these in-between months, layering them over fine knits or under blazers, but after such a long and hot summer, I'm sick of the sight of many of them, and eager for a change.

Rather than buying new dresses, skirts make more sense in autumn, as they can be paired with cotton or silk shirts now (or a T-shirt at the weekend) and knitwear in a month or so. Instead of the printed silks that have been popular this summer, look for heavier fabrics like brocade or leather to keep you warm even with bare legs.

 Clockwise from top left: Red shirt, ￡49, Topshop; APC belted trench, ￡485, Matches; Suede skirt, ￡595, Toast

Toast has a beautiful yellow suede skirt: it’s expensive, but looks it – I tried it on in store last weekend and it was very good quality, and will be warm enough to wear all winter. As it’s a block colour, rather than a print, it won’t date quickly either.

Finally, rather than buying my winter coat now – despite the annual scare-mongering, I'm willing to risk still being able to find one when I actually need it - I’m on the hunt for an autumnal jacket. In this weather, I prefer heavy, lined cotton to wear in place of a jumper, as wool and cashmere can feel suffocating in this muggy-drizzle. You can keep a cotton shacket (shirt-jacket) - try Topshop’s rust, or Hush’s khaki (￡75) - on all day, so it’s a good bridging-the-seasons buy before you need an extra layer outdoors.

When you do, a trench coat won’t look too heavy against bare legs: I bought an olive-green version from the Alexa Chung x Marks & Spencer collaboration a few years ago, and it still looks up to date. M&S has a good tan version for ￡149 or, if you can afford to invest a little more, look at APC, Margaret Howell and Rejina Pyo.

Summer may be on the wane, but we needn’t resign ourselves to winter dressing just yet –- as long as there are leaves on the trees, those opaque tights are staying in the drawer where they belong.