Our guide to the autumn items that look great together .

Style – fashion, getting dressed, whatever you want to call it – is, in its purest and most rewarding sense, the act of putting two things together and making them work. This is something that can be simplified considerably, if you have in your arsenal a few foolproof combinations that you already know go well together. Call it formulaic if you will, but you have to know the rules to break them. The following eight pairings are guaranteed, time-honoured, proven style successes. They have what you could call a synergy; they are more together than the sum of their parts. Commit them to memory, and you won’t go wrong.

By putting on a denim jacket, you’re tapping into a rich vein of cultural heritage. Cowboys, ranchers and railroad workers of the Old West, and more recently musicians and movie stars, all display this icon of masculine style – and there’s no better partner for it than a checked shirt, ideally layered over a crisp white tee. While this simple combination lends itself naturally to a casual weekend look, don’t forget that modern denim jackets, such as this one from Saint Laurent, are cut for a cleaner, sharper silhouette, and can be dressed up a touch, too. Just add tailored trousers and a pair of polished Derbies.

These jeans, from Ralph Lauren’s highly sought-after RRL range, are cut from selvedge denim woven at North Carolina’s legendary Cone Mills. The weight and rigidity of the fabric lends them a tough, utilitarian quality: they feel like the kind of jeans you’d pull on before a hard day’s work at the ranch. Which makes them the perfect partner for another hard-wearing American classic: the Red Wing work boot. This boot was originally designed for factory and farm workers, but thanks to its legendary quality and good old-fashioned looks, it has recently found favour with a more urban crowd. Throw the two together for an easy, workwear-inspired look.

Thanks to the hugely influential New York designer Mr Thom Browne, it’s now acceptable – and indeed quite fashionable – to show a little ankle while wearing a suit. A substantial pair of shoes helps to keep this look grounded: Mr Browne favours longwing brogues in pebbled leather, nubuck or suede. We suggest any of those, or a high-shine Derby, such as this one from the Canadian accessories brand, WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie. Wear them with no socks, or better, with “invisible” socks from Falke. It’s a contemporary, yet unerringly masculine look.

Mr Hedi Slimane of Saint Laurent specialises in creating refined, contemporary versions of rough ‘n’ ready American classics, and his signature “Hedi” Western jacket is a perfect example. Immaculately tailored from plush black suede, it’s the kind of thing that begs to be dressed up while also ticking a few style boxes when paired with lived-in jeans and a T-shirt. Pair it with a fine-knit roll neck sweater though, like this one from Bottega Veneta’s creative director, Mr Tomas Maier, and things really look promising. By emphasising the luxurious nature of the jacket, you’ll elevate it to another level entirely.

It’s far too early to say for sure, but sportswear – and in particular, the emergence of the designer sweatpants as an alternative to denim – looks like it might go on to become one of the defining trends of the decade. It’s not hard to see why it has become quite so popular: it’s comfortable, easy to pull off, and if done properly it looks great. And when we say done properly, this example – courtesy of Tom Ford and Tomas Maier – is what we mean.

Instant rockstar style. Suede Chelsea boots and skinny jeans are to the rakish rock ‘n’ roller what elbow patch sweaters and baggy corduroy blazers are to the eccentric professor: a kind of unofficial uniform. But this sleek style combo is about more than its glamorous cultural associations — they just look right together. The seamless lines of the Chelsea boot fit the slim silhouette of skinny jeans perfectly. Complete the look with a leather jacket and striped tee.

Office dress codes have changed enormously over the last few years — but just because we’re no longer required to wear a tie to work doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. For more relaxed office environments, try pairing a denim shirt with a knitted grey silk tie. This subversive take on the classic shirt-and-tie combo is a particular favourite of MR PORTER’s dapper US Editor, Mr Dan Rookwood. He usually wears it with a Thom Sweeney three-piece suit.

A camel overcoat is perhaps the second proper coat that a man should buy, after the more traditional (and versatile) navy single-breasted overcoat. It’s a savvy investment — the kind of thing that you’ll be very happy to see hanging in your closet on the first cold day of 2018, 2019 or 2020. The first thing that you should buy to wear with it is a brushed-cashmere scarf in burgundy. The two earthy shades are quite simply the best of friends – and we don’t need to tell you that an overcoat and scarf go naturally together.