An Autumn Style Kit Check-In

When a new season dawns, I am always thrilled to refresh my wardrobe. That’s not to say that I replenish the entire wardrobe, it’s more about assessing the wants and needs of my clothes for the season ahead. At the grand age of 32, I’ve amassed my perfect edit of clothing, formed of investment pieces that make up the fabric – literally – of my wardrobe. I actually rarely feel the need to add to my collection of clothes and that’s great too: at the moment, it’s estimated that we have enough clothes on the planet to clothe its population SEVEN times over.

Since I penned a post all about my Autumn 2022 wardrobe additions, I thought I’d check in this week with an update to talk about how it’s performed for me and whether I’d recommend the pieces. I’d love to continue to talk about how to approach fashion more responsibly and sustainably, too.

The style kit

Of the pieces that I shared last autumn, I ended up buying:

H&M linen-coloured blazer
H&M collared knitted dress
TALA black bodycon dress
H&M vegan horsebit loafers
H&M chocolate brown sweetheart neck jumper
… and crafting a £2.50 version of the Loewe anagram tank

Honestly? I’m wincing a little at the amount of H&M in this stack. In recent months, they’ve been called out for their greenwashing and it is still an unethical fashion brand. My mindset at the time was that I was very likely to keep all of the pieces and wear them responsibly: rotating them regularly (to avoid over-wear and boredom), washing properly, and mending wherever needed. But, these days I’ll only purchase new pieces from brands that are rated ‘Good’ or better on Good for You, or secondhand.

Quality and how I feel a year on

Having said that, I am incredibly impressed that all of these pieces were of great quality. We had a pretty shocking meteorological summer in England, which meant I didn’t really even switch out my wardrobe and many of these pieces have been worn year-round.

The H&M blazer makes an appearance at least once a week. It adds a polished finish to any look: I even wore it with a tank and wide-leg joggers to work once. While it definitely doesn’t look high-end (the single button, lack of waterfall button cuffs…), it’s lined and has shoulder pads and, with good care, it doesn’t look like it’s aged a season one jot. I’m definitely keeping this in my rotation.

The same can be said for my H&M collared knitted dress and sweetheart neck jumper. Both have featured heavily in all sorts of outfits and they’ve kept their quality. The dress could do with a de-bobbling session, but I’m certainly going to continue wearing these pieces throughout AW23.

Next, my beloved TALA bodycon dress. I wasn’t sold on this when it arrived, because the ‘oyster black’ colourway was a little odd to me. But, I eventually caved and I really like both the colour and the fit. TALA have since released more dresses in this fit and I’ve been tempted on several occasions but, for now, I really like this piece and will absolutely continue to wear it.

Finally, I ended up DIY’ing a £2.50 version of the now-cult Loewe anagram tank top. At £250 for the real thing, I just couldn’t justify the cost. Instead, I bought an organic cotton rib tank and used my Cricut machine to make an iron-on. I adore this piece – it adds a fun twist to simple outfits and I’ve discovered I am really all about the elevated basics.

The only item I haven’t had nearly enough wear of is the H&M loafer. I love a loafer, but last autumn was far too rainy for me to regularly wear these, and they ended up shoved in the cupboard. They’re now out in prime position on the shoe rack so that I’ll reach for them.

My Autumn Winter 2023 additions

This Sisterhood the Label Winona Knit (£95) is crafted from RWS merino wool, meaning it is grown and harvested from wool suppliers that adhere to the Responsible Wool Standard. While I have had my gorgeous Sézane cream jumper, Eudon Choi navy knit and a few other investment knits for years, I love the idea of a chocolate brown piece. I’ll be selling two jumpers to make room for this.

I’m also after a versatile autumnal midi dress. I love the knitted and bodycon dresses I already have, but I think I’d like a floaty, versatile dress that can be worn for work as well as weekends. A few seasons ago, I picked up this adorable floral dress by Topshop via Vinted that I’m considering letting go of, as well as this Warehouse jumpsuit that no longer fits due to my recent gym gains – yay!

Shop my pre-loved wardrobe on Vinted and Vestiare Collective.