Ask a stylist: autumn dressing without overheating

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I love knitwear but often find myself getting too hot and flustered, especially on the commute. What are the best ways to layer up and look stylish?

Treading the line between comfortably warm and staying cool is tough — especially with office heating, trains, Tubes and a whole world of different temperatures, both outside and in. But with a bit of thought and preparation, this can be easily managed. Use clever base layers under your knitwear, go for roomier shapes that allow more aeration, and focus carefully on the composition of yarns, picking those that will help regulate your temperature more efficiently.

What is your commute like? If there is a lot of Tube or subway action, then you need light layers and smart tying techniques — after all, being able to shed a few garments in a confined space when pinned under a stranger’s armpit is a worthy life skill. Loosely tie garments around the waist, for example, or sling over the shoulders. What I like to do is carry a bag that’s roomy enough for me to stow carefully folded tops. 

Let’s talk fabrics first. You can approach this with either technical or natural ones. Lululemon, Sweaty Betty, Under Armour and Nike all do wick-away fabrics that can be very useful as an under-layer beneath knits. This easy running T-shirt from Sweaty Betty is great for a slim-fitting light layer (£55, sweatybetty.com), or try this option from Under Armour for a good V-neck (£23, johnlewis.com). For a more natural feel, I swear by these Falke T-shirts (£40, falke.com). Made from cotton, rayon and elastane, they mimic what merino wool can do — storing heat away from the body and then releasing it back when you get cold. I have never overheated on the Tube in one of these and wear them religiously under shirts, knits, cardigans — you name it. The low U-neck helps, as it never interferes with other necklines when you layer up.

Bamboo is a natural material famed for being a low conductor of heat. I like the cut of the Kelly top from Bamboo Clothing, with an ultra-wide neck that suits a medium or slightly narrower shoulder (£39, bambooclothing.co.uk). In essence, natural fabrics breathe well and are kinder to our internal thermostats. Choose silks and silk mixes, cottons, merino and light wools. This top from Ninety Percent is an easy win with a wide-leg trouser (£70, ninetypercent.com), and the matching cardigan can be tied around the waist (£42 on sale, ninetypercent.com).  

For layering masterclasses on the AW24 catwalk, check out Dries Van Noten and The Row. An easy look is a silk shirt under a V-neck knit or tank. The juxtaposition of slinky silk and flat solid wool makes an excellent pairing. Keeping the neck open will help with cooling, then simply add a scarf or snood once you escape from underground. The washable Chiara silk shirt from NRBY is fabulous and super-light (£160, nrbyclothing.com). Wear it with a Studio Nicholson tank (£350, studionicholson.com) to build up a narrower shoulder or create an on-trend fashion silhouette. 

A half-zip also works well for an open-neck option. With knitwear, the sensible thing is to choose something relaxed and wider at the hem to keep you cooler. I love this sporty style from Staud (£475, staud.clothing). You can pair it with a short-sleeved tee, vest or long-sleeved layer underneath and a slimmer-fit trouser or skirt. This jumper from Joseph in oxblood — colour of the season — is delicious and pairs well with navy, red, cream or blue (£445, joseph-fashion.com).

Showing some skin is another option for keeping cool. You could choose a knitted tank with a short-sleeved tee underneath. I love this sleeveless knit from Joseph (£295, mytheresa.com) — truly excellent under a blazer, so that you can rejoice in the arms out, arms in, depending on how you’re feeling.

Stylish layering is born of clever texture mixes. A crisp cotton tee or shirt against a fluffy or soft yarn knit with a light wool blazer would be a natty look. Check out this zip-back design from Boss — an unexpected way of keeping your back cool (£525, hugoboss.com). It’s worth mentioning too that a lighter-weight coat also helps in the battle against overheating. You’ll feel even hotter if you’re weighed down. The best option is to stick with a light mac — something like this cotton trench from Aexae (£540, harveynichols.com).

If all else fails, try a neck fan — it’s game-changing, in my book! JisuLife has a range of models and colours to choose from (£29.27, jisulife.com). Alternatively, use a mini water mist and spray liberally. This Avène one, which can also be used to set make-up, is handy (£4.31, boots.com), or opt for a plain spritzer such as the Evian one (£3.99, theperfumeshop.com). That always cools me down.

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