Not sure what to wear in the in-between weather? A silk shirt is your transitional saviour

Olivia Buxton Smith

Updated Thu, September 14, 2017 at 5:00 AM UTC

Founder of Hey Woman! Veronika Heilbrunner wears a silk shirt sans jacket while out and about in New York's warm September weather  - Getty Images North America — Founder of Hey Woman! Veronika Heilbrunner wears a silk shirt sans jacket while out and about in New York's warm September weather - Getty Images North America

A silk shirt is a perennial wardrobe staple and, if it doesn't already, here on the Telegraph Fashion desk we believe that you should have a few in your sartorial arsenal whatever the time of year.

Why? A silk shirt is flattering, comfortable and chic-but-not-shouty. It emanates a certain insouciance, while still allowing the wearer to look polished, which is perhaps the result of the merging of a traditionally masculine garment with a traditionally feminine fabric. It's no wonder, therefore, that the silk shirt is reinvented by everyone from Gucci, to Miu Miu, to Victoria Beckham season after season.

Here's why we think a silk shirt is your transitional saviour...

They automatically grant you a polished edge

If you resort to jeans, a knitted skirt or jersey trousers at every chance you get, a silk shirt will prove invaluable when it comes to sprucing up your favourite pieces. Thought denim was out of the question for a drinks party? A printed silk shirt will take your jeans from mooching around on the weekend, to evening shindig as quick as you can say Asceno.

In a similar vein, if you've previously ruled out slightly slouchy, elastic-waist trousers for work, the addition of a silk shirt and a block heel might make you reconsider.

Olivia Palermo - Credit: getty — Olivia Palermo's ivory silk shirt could just as soon be paired with jeans as it could this yellow skirt Credit: getty

They're less sensible than their starchy counterparts

There's a time and a place for a cotton shirt, be it a white, striped or colourful variation, and these too are handy things to have in your wardrobe. We're also not denying they have their own allure, particularly when layered underneath a wide leg suit and teamed with a pair of heels. But a crisp white shirt adheres to a different kind of aesthetic, and there's no denying a silk alternative is both more playful and, arguably, sexier too. Ergo, the perfect piece to wear to a dinner party or on a first date.

Asceno's silk pyjama shirts are too lovely to wear solely at home

They lend themselves very well to being layered

A silk shirt really comes into its own during the transitional period between late summer and early autumn: when you have had to reluctantly stow away you folksy blouses but are not quite ready to wheel out your winter coat.

A silk shirt looks equally as fabulous peeping out from under a suede or leather jacket as it does a lightweight trench or oversize blazer, making it ideal for inbetween months.

Isabelle Huppert - Credit: Film Magic — Isabelle Huppert dresses her denim up at Cannes with a silk shirt Credit: Film Magic

...but also look good on their own

Should we experience an Indian summer or even just the odd balmy day, the good news is a silk shirt looks very good worn on its own, and is an excellent option for times when a T-shirt will no longer do, but a bomber jacket leaves leaves you overheating on the tube.

A slightly oversize pyjama style shirt in silk or a silk-mix, paired with tailored trousers, loafers, a cross-body bag and some XL earrings will be an outfit you can safely waft around in, soaking up the last of sun's rays.

Marina London's longline silk shirts look fabulous when paired with co-ordinating trousers

They truly bridge the work-evening-weekend divide

While fashion editors like to talk about pieces that are versatile enough to see you through all manner of occasions, whether it a swanky drinks party, a birthday in the countryside, or the school run, few items do so as seamlessly as a silk shirt.

Pair yours with a silk skirt and you have a combo that teeters on the verge of high-octane glamour. Pair it with jeans and sneakers and you wouldn't look out of place in Waitrose. Not only does this mean a silk shirt is a more-than-worthy investment, but it will also provide the answer to many a dressing dilemma.