London autumn is probably one of the trickiest times of year to dress for.
September can still feel surprisingly warm, while October is when you start getting those properly chilly mornings – and both months have a habit of throwing rain into the mix.
The problem isn’t necessarily that London gets particularly cold straight away. It’s that the temperature can change considerably between leaving the house in the morning and heading home in the evening.
You can leave home in a jumper because it’s cold at 8am, spend your Tube journey wondering why you didn’t wear a T-shirt instead, and then discover you’ve forgotten an umbrella when it starts raining at lunchtime. You can really experience the weather of all four seasons in one day in the UK.
So rather than buying a completely new wardrobe every September, I’ve found that a few reliable pieces of clothing and accessories work much better. The aim is to be able to add or remove a layer depending on what London decides to throw at you.
Here’s my low-maintenance London uniform for the autumn transition.
1. The Trench Coat
A trench coat is probably the most useful piece you can own for London’s in-between weather.
A heavy wool coat is usually overkill in September, while a light denim jacket isn’t much use when the forecast suddenly turns wet. A water-resistant trench sits somewhere in the middle: light enough for milder days, roomy enough for layers and useful when you get caught in a shower.
I’d go for a slightly oversized shape rather than something very fitted. That way you can wear it over a T-shirt at the beginning of autumn and a chunky cardigan later in the season without feeling restricted.
Stone, khaki and dark olive are the obvious choices if you want something that will work with most of your wardrobe, although black would look really good if you prefer a more minimal outfit.
I think a trench can make any outfit look really chic. Jeans, a T-shirt, trainers and a trench is about as low-effort as it gets, but it still looks like you’ve made an effort.
2. Shoes You Can Actually Walk Around London In
I love my white Converse as much as anyone, but there comes a point in autumn when walking across London in them feels like a deliberate decision to get your feet wet (and ruin the shoes).
Equally, I’m not ready to spend September in my heavy winter boots.
The sweet spot for me is a pair of shoes that can cope with a bit of rain and don’t require much thought. Leather trainers, loafers or ankle boots all work well. I think the key here is to wear some shoes that aren’t going to get your feet soggy in a sudden downpour – September isn’t the time to be worrying about whether your feet are cold.
The important thing is choosing something that you can actually walk in. London is a city where you can end up walking 30 minutes because you’ve decided to walk home or misjudged how far the place you want to get to is.
I’d also choose leather or treated suede over delicate fabrics once the weather turns. Being able to wipe your shoes clean after walking through a puddle is a surprisingly useful quality. I usually wear Vejas or Stan Smiths – something with quite a minimal silhouette.
3. A Lightweight Knit You Can Actually Take Off
The mistake I make most often with transitional dressing is wearing one jumper that’s either exactly right for the first hour of the day and then completely wrong for the next eight.
A lightweight cardigan or fine-knit jumper over a T-shirt gives you much more flexibility than a heavy jumper.
If the Tube is boiling (which it always is) or the sun unexpectedly appears, you can take it off. If you’re sitting outside a pub later and the temperature drops, you’ve got something to put back on.
I particularly like a cardigan for this because it’s easy to remove and carry, but a fine merino or cotton crewneck works just as well. Also as an aside, I just love how a light round neck jumper looks when you can see the neckline of a white t-shirt underneath.
This is one of those situations where layering isn’t really about looking fashionable. It’s just about not spending the entire day being either too hot or too cold.
4. The T-Shirt Under Everything
A good T-shirt is probably the most underrated part of an autumn wardrobe.
It might not feel particularly exciting, but having a breathable layer underneath your knitwear makes such a difference when you’re moving between cold streets and heated shops, pubs and Tube carriages.
I tend to prefer relatively simple cotton T-shirts in white, grey or black because they work underneath almost everything.
And if the temperature unexpectedly reaches 20°C in September, you can always take your jumper off and still have an outfit that makes sense.
That’s really the whole point of transitional dressing, you can shed layers or add them when you need, and it works regardless.
5. A Weather-Resistant Crossbody Bag
I find autumn is when a smaller crossbody bag becomes much more useful than a big open tote.
You want something that closes securely and can cope with a bit of rain, particularly if you’re carrying your phone, wallet, keys and whatever else you’ve accumulated during the day.
There’s also something to be said for having both hands free.
When you’re walking through a busy London street with an umbrella in one hand and a coffee in the other, the last thing you need is a bag constantly slipping off your shoulder.
A crossbody also works particularly well with a trench because it doesn’t interfere too much with the shape of the coat. There are so many I can recommend, I love a Baggu or the Mutha.Hood Dumpling bag, and for something a little more dressy you can’t go wrong with a Pom Pom London bag. You can read my post on the best bags to use when you’re exploring London here.
6. The Small Umbrella You Actually Carry
This sounds obvious, but an umbrella is only useful if you actually have it with you.
I’ve found a compact umbrella that can permanently live in your bag is much more useful than a huge one that you leave at home because you don’t want to carry it around.
It won’t make the outfit any more exciting, but it will make a sudden October downpour considerably less annoying.
And if you live in London, there’s something very satisfying about seeing rain in the forecast and being able to think, fine, I’ve prepared for this.
An umbrella is so handy for those humid rainy days where wearing a raincoat feels too uncomfortable and sticky.
7. Jeans That Work With Everything
Autumn is when I start packing away most of my summer midi dresses and bring out my jeans.
They’re warm enough for cooler days and they work with everything else on this list such as a T-shirt and trench, a jumper and trainers, or a cardigan and loafers.
For me, the key is having a couple of pairs that you genuinely like wearing rather than trying to follow whatever denim shape happens to be trending that season.
A straight or relaxed-leg pair is particularly easy to layer with trainers, loafers and ankle boots. But you would have to prise my skinnies out of my hands/
And, perhaps most importantly, jeans don’t require much thought. When the weather is unpredictable, I appreciate clothes that I don’t have to think about too much.
8. The Lightweight Scarf
My favourite transitional-weather trick is probably the least exciting one: keep a lightweight scarf in your bag.
It takes up very little room, but it can make the difference between being comfortable and spending your entire journey home wishing you’d brought a proper coat.
It’s particularly useful in that awkward period when your outfit is fine for the afternoon but the temperature drops as soon as the sun disappears.
A lightweight wool, cashmere or cotton scarf is enough. You don’t need anything particularly thick. It’s just for that extra layer around your neck when the breeze picks up.
And unlike carrying a heavier coat around all day, you can just fold it back into your bag when you don’t need it.
9. A Jacket That Isn’t Quite a Winter Coat
There will be days when a trench isn’t enough, but a proper winter coat still feels excessive.
This is where a slightly heavier jacket comes in.
A wool-blend jacket, quilted jacket or relaxed blazer can give you that extra bit of warmth without committing to your full winter wardrobe.
I particularly like this for late September and October, when the temperature can feel completely different from one day to the next.
The important thing is not buying something so heavy that you immediately regret wearing it when you get inside.
10. The Outfit Formula I Keep Coming Back To
Ultimately, I don’t think dressing for London’s autumn weather needs to be complicated.
My most reliable formula is:
T-shirt + lightweight knit + jeans + comfortable shoes + trench coat
Then I can adapt it depending on the weather.
If it’s warmer, the knit goes in my bag. When it’s colder, I add a scarf. If rain is forecast, I take the umbrella. If it’s cold, I’ll swap the trench for something heavier.
I don’t want an outfit that only works at one very specific temperature. I want clothes that can adapt as the day changes.
The Low-Maintenance London Autumn Uniform
For me, that’s really what transitional dressing comes down to.
A trench, comfortable shoes, lightweight layers, jeans, a weather-resistant bag, an umbrella and a scarf aren’t particularly groundbreaking, but together they make September and October considerably easier to dress for.
I’d much rather have a small number of pieces that I know will work in different combinations than buy a whole new autumn wardrobe every time the temperature drops.
Because in London, you can never really know what the weather is going to do.
You might leave the house in sunshine, get caught in a downpour at lunchtime and end the evening sitting outside a pub wishing you’d brought another layer.
The trick is simply to be ready for all three.
What’s your go-to outfit for London’s unpredictable autumn weather? Are you a trench coat person, or do you reach for something heavier as soon as September arrives?
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