You will often hear the words “elevated classics” bandied about in the fashion sphere, but Parisian label Officine Générale is truly worthy of the description. For the brand’s founder, Mr Pierre Mahéo – a man of sunny spirit and casual ease who personifies the ideals of Gallic charm – a well-put-together wardrobe should be unassuming, but not unexciting.

“There is always something understated and timeless about our collections, but there are also subtle plays on shape, details, colour and texture that makes it feel understated, but with a point of difference,” he says. For the new season, Mahéo drew inspiration from his morning strolls from one side of the Seine to the other. “Because we couldn’t travel last winter, I began to look differently at my favourite city on my early walks from the Left to the Right Bank, takeaway espresso in hand. It was the antiquarian and art dealers I passed that inspired the colour palettes, accents and fabric choices of the designs.”

With its easy, deconstructed tailoring, smart transitional separates and refined takes on leisurewear, this season’s Morning Walk In Paris collection stays true to the brand’s commitment to well-made, low-key luxury for the modern man who wants to dress, for want of better phrase, in a considered fashion, but who doesn’t need to shout about it. And if that sounds like anyone familiar, you’ll find our pick of AW21’s finest pieces a breath of fresh air.

The king of yarns isn’t just great for knitting a plush woollen number. Once this olive-green cashmere overcoat envelopes you with its warm embrace, you’ll never want to coat yourself in anything else. That rich, organic shade will also help you stand out, subtly of course, in a sea of winter black and grey. And if that isn’t enough to convince you, it’s a favoured piece of Mahéo himself.

In typical Officine Générale fashion, the brand takes what was once a purely utilitarian garment built for combat and reconnaissance and turns it into a highly desirable wardrobe staple for the civvy about town. This bomber jacket with a butter-soft tactile suede shell and a cut that’s just so for layering comfortably over knits and shirts, what else would you want around your shoulders?

Some people claim that tailoring is dead. Mr Pierre Mahéo (and MR PORTER, for that matter) would say it’s still alive and well in a more contemporary form, one where you can play with the prescribed rules. This lightweight, deconstructed technical blazer, for example, is more like an elegant second skin than the stiff and starchy tailored uniforms of old. Just swap the collared shirt for a crisp T-shirt or clean-cut rollneck and you’ll be good to go.

During those mercurial months of late summer and early autumn, the meteorological gods can be moodier than a hormonal teenager and it can be hard to know what to put on your back before you leave the house. A gilet is that perfect in-between-the-seasons solution that can be worn over a tee or layered with more substantial pieces when the mercury takes a dive. This lightweight shell iteration is one of the most adaptable styles of the season.

Leisurewear might have become indispensible over the past year or so of lockdown living, but there are sweats and there are sweats_._ This hoodie, made from super soft, thermo-regulating merino wool in a cut that says “comfortable, not couch potato”, is a polished alternative to those shapeless garden-variety sweats, which, if we’re being brutally honest, should really be kept indoors.

With branches bare and most signs of life gone south for the foreseeable, winter can be a drab affair. This skilfully crafted sweater, however, with its mélange of vivid yarns, will counteract that dreariness and might just help you evade SAD. We can’t promise that, but it will at least make life a little brighter for those around you.

Even a brand that trades on contemporary Left Bank elegance knows the enduring sartorial appeal of the rugged rancher. As you’d expect, the brand has interpreted the look in its own singular way, stripping back the tassels, bells and whistles of the classic western shirt for a clean-lined iteration that hits the perfect sweet spot between smart and casual.

Ms Coco Chanel can take the credit for raising the profile of the Breton sweater to new heights, but Officine Générale saw room for improvement. This version is cut from premium Japanese cotton, known for its durability and soft touch. Its classic navy and white make it one of the easiest pieces in your casual cache to dress up or down.

It is tempting during the later months of the year to pull on your darkest attire to blend in with your surroundings, but dressing in lighter shades can bring light relief to moodier days. These trousers are cut from a warm, hefty corduroy, which makes them wholly appropriate for cold weather, while their dusky hue will make life feel just a little bit peachier until the sun shows up again.

There’s an old adage that if a man invests in anything, it should be in his shoes and his bed, because if he’s not in one, he’s in the other. Officine Générale certainly got the memo. These suede slip-ons in a pair-with-anything hue and a clean-cut profile are as comfortable as they are considered.

Ease in dressing and practicality are the hallmarks of Officine Générale and this scarf is a fine example of its creative acumen. With a clever reversible design that can switch from Japanese wool to recycled Italian technical shell, it’s an all-weather accessory that will see you through the season’s full meteorological cycle.

The humble baseball cap might just be the most ubiquitous hat of the modern age, but strip back the garish logos and synthetic materials and you’re left with a clean and ageless piece of headgear that has both style and practical worth. This take, made from plush virgin wool, is a sportier alternative to a slouchy beanie when the frost descends.