5 minute read

The American novelist Lee Maynard described autumn as: “...the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it.” I would only add, ‘and for the fabulous fashion’. Despite summer’s stubborn refusal to retreat this week (I realise this probably made most of you very happy), I'm only about three degrees away from buying a pair of Bernie Sanders-style mittens, because Autumn clothes are as integral to my personality as punctuality and perfectionism, but much more rewarding.

Summer clothes, like its temperatures, make me want to hide out rather than hang out. Cut-off shorts and spaghetti straps, tank tops and cotton smocks, cutesy prints and pastel palettes have never been a feature of my wardrobe. My style is streamlined, a little bit boyish and a big part puritanical (meaning I like to be covered up). This is no fair-weather approach to fashion either, this is how I like to look 365 days a year. But it makes summer feel less like a holiday and more like a gruelling effort, as I negotiate my pasty pallor and Amish aesthetic through rising temperatures and rails of strappy sundresses. You won’t be surprised to know then that my wardrobe is 20% summer-appropriate and 80% an homage to autumn.

When the clock strikes midnight (on August 31), instead of losing my glad rags as Cinderella did, I begin my own sartorial fairytale. My trusty leather trousers are dusted off and my sweaters steamed (yep, I press everything). Boots are brightened and tights (eventually) untangled, and outerwear is lovingly lined up, then accessorised with scarves and snoods. Autumn dressing causes a sensory overload as tweeds and twill, cashmere and corduroy, velvet and velour compete for my affections. Enduring fabrics all of them, these are tactile materials worth saving for and spending on.

When summer has finally given up the ghost and autumn made its presence properly felt, I start swaddling in forest tones and earthy textures. This is at the heart of autumn fashion, isn’t it? The cocooning coats, the baby-blanket-soft knits, the toasty socks and sturdy boots – they’re protective and soothing, bolstering and nurturing, all at the same time. For an introvert like me, they offer solace as well as style. More than at any other time of year, clothes have an emotional worth as well as a practical and sartorial one, putting a smile on the faces of even the most end-of-summer melancholics, I’m sure.

This year, my go-to brand for exquisitely made, forever coats is The Landskein. Available online and from Havana boutique in Donnybrook, this relatively new Irish label has captured the imagination of consumers with its devotion to quality, sustainability and superb design. From classic blazers to contemporary drop-shoulder styles, each piece has an effortless sophistication that every woman could do with in her wardrobe. These coats are not cheap, but nor should they be given the standard of craftsmanship and the beauty of the indigenous fabrics used.

From new-kid-on-the-block to heritage brand Irelands Eye, which recently launched its Kindred knitwear collection. A wool, cotton, cashmere and silk mix, each item – it includes sweaters, cardigans, vests and a wrap – is available in several beautifully evocative shades, from seaspray to apple, and many cleverly fuse traditional Aran stitches with contemporary silhouettes. They are also really well priced at €120 upwards. Irelands Eye is a 40-year-old brand that continues to infuse everything it creates with freshness and authority, and that’s definitely worth supporting. My favourite piece is the Thistle cable-knit cardigan.

Another knitwear brand worth highlighting is Gabrielle Malone Design, whose very first collection debuted this year at Create in Brown Thomas. These super chunky couture knits contrast beautifully with their delicate shades of stone and lavender, and they embody perfectly that tactile, swaddling aesthetic we crave at this time of year. I plan to start saving for one of Malone’s cardigans, while simultaneously trying to knit one of my own. Let’s see which comes off first.

Another brand I’m really enjoying wearing as we move through September is Coster Copenhagen. This Danish brand strikes a lovely balance between pulled-together and laidback, which is exactly what I feel I need in this pandemic reality. The pieces hang beautifully, and the detailing elevates them far beyond their reasonable price points (knits start at about €100), plus they feel refreshingly different to standard high street offerings.

But if you’re looking for something a little more dazzling to mark this gorgeous shift in seasons, visit the website of new Irish accessories brand August Night. Derry-born designer Caoimhe Grant worked for John Rocha and then his fashion superstar daughter Simone before launching her own label late last year. Eloquently titled August Night, the brand offers a stunning collection of bags in softly sculptural silhouettes and with distinctive and elegant details. The brand’s signature piece – the bow crossbody bag – comes in scarlet satin or ash linen and is one of the loveliest pieces I’ve seen in some time.

Now on a less glamorous note, I’m off to buy those Bernie Sanders mittens. Or perhaps I’ll try knitting them before I take on a piece of Gabrielle Malone couture? Baby steps.

Marie Kelly, September 2021