A coat is likely to be the biggest purchase you will make all season and we are not just talking about cost. For the next few months this is going to be your top layer, the item of clothing with which you will become most closely associated and so it pays to choose well. Speaking of choice, there is an abundance of it this autumn, with smartly tailored overcoats, hefty padded down parkas and luxurious leathers combining to provide a range of options to suit any climate or style.

There are far too many highlights to mention, but this soft, fuzzy teddy bear of a shearling coat from the New York designer BODE captures the comfort-first mood of the season rather well. We have styled it here with a chunky cable-knit sweater from Dries Van Noten for a look that just oozes cosy, autumnal vibes.

There is nothing quite like cocooning yourself in cashmere when the cold sets in, and if the sight of Dries Van Noten’s cable-knit sweater has put you in the mood for sweater weather, then we are happy to report that there is plenty more where that came from.

Of particular note is the Milanese fashion brand Marni, whose reputation for bold, colourful knitwear is upheld this season with cool, crafty creations such as the patchwork sweater seen here on the left, while on the right, the cult Japanese brand Sacai gets in on the action with a range of dip-dyed sweaters that are just as easy on the eye as they are cosy to wear. The take-home message here is that knitwear doesn’t have to play a supporting role in your outfit. It can just as easily be the star of the show.

Jersey? Sure. The loopback cotton material has had a bit of a glow-up in recent years with sweatpants, sweatshirts and hoodies shaking off their WFH associations to establish themselves in our wardrobes as genuine alternatives to denim and other off-duty options. This evolution is reflected in the current season’s collections, which are packed full of elevated, stylish sweats. Take SAINT Mxxxxxx, whose MX6 logo hoodie astutely references the design of classic 1990s sportswear, or Cherry LA, whose zip hoodie can be seen on the right, styled with a tonal denim western shirt and white jeans.

Some of this autumn’s finest fashion comes courtesy of the Spanish designer brand LOEWE, which provides the log-debossed leather jacket and red polka-dot shirt – correction, we’re being told it is actually a fly agaric toadstool print – seen here. Along with providing a showcase of LOEWE’s peerless craftsmanship and creativity, this outfit is also an object lesson in effective layering, one we’d recommend that you take on board and put into practice before the deep freeze sets in and we disappear under our down-filled duvet coats for the rest of the winter.