How to Dress for Autumn: A Practical Approach

Autumn dressing in the UK is, in practice, dressing for unpredictable weather across a four-month window. September can feel like a continuation of summer; November can feel like January. The approach that works isn't about buying seasonal pieces each year — it's about having the right base items that layer effectively and adapt as the temperature changes week to week, sometimes day to day.

This guide works through the wardrobe category by category: outerwear, knitwear, shirts, trousers and accessories. Each section covers what's worth having and why.

Outerwear: One Good Coat

For most men, one well-chosen autumn and winter coat covers the majority of occasions. The category is wide — wool overcoats, waxed cotton field coats, technical waterproofs, padded jackets — and each comes with genuine trade-offs. The key variables are warmth, weather resistance and versatility across occasions.

A mid-weight wool overcoat in Charcoal, Navy or Camel covers the widest range of situations: considered enough for office and evening occasions, not so formal that it looks out of place over knitwear and jeans at the weekend. Worn with the right pieces underneath, it works from September through to March.

For wetter or more active days, a waxed cotton field coat or technical jacket in a neutral colour offers weather resistance without the weight of a heavy wool coat. The trade-off is formality — waxed cotton and nylon reads as weekend and outdoor rather than office or evening.

For the current outerwear selection, see the winter coats range and the jackets collection.

Knitwear: The Most Important Layer

Knitwear is the most important category for autumn dressing in the UK. It provides warmth, works under both outerwear and overshirts, and covers the gap between a shirt and a coat that mid-season weather creates almost every day from September through November.

The Mock Turtleneck

The short, raised collar blocks wind and cold at the neck without the restriction of a full roll neck. A lambswool mock turtleneck in a neutral colourway — Black, Navy, Oatmeal — works under almost everything: blazers, overshirts, wool coats. It's the most versatile single knitwear piece for the cooler months and the one worth buying first if you're building the layer out.

The Crew Neck Sweater

The crew neck is slightly less formal than the mock neck but works in most of the same situations. A mid-weight crew neck in merino or lambswool is comfortable worn alone on mild days and effective as a mid-layer on colder ones. It's the right choice if you find the mock neck's raised collar too constraining for daily wear.

The V-Neck Cardigan

A V-neck cardigan over a shirt is a consistently underrated combination. Worn open, it reads as relaxed; worn buttoned with a plain shirt underneath, it has a more considered character. The button front allows easy temperature adjustment through a variable day. In a lambswool or merino blend, it works from September through to April.

See the full knitwear collection for the current Burrows & Hare range — mock turtlenecks, crew necks, cardigans and structured knit jackets.

Shirts: Shifting to Heavier Weaves

Autumn shifts the shirt away from linen and thin summer cotton toward heavier weaves: brushed cotton, Oxford cloth, cashmere blends. These are warmer against the skin, provide a better base for layering knitwear on top, and carry more visual weight that suits the lower light and deeper colours of the season.

A brushed cotton Oxford shirt in a neutral or soft check — Light Navy, Stone, mid-Brown — works across casual and smart-casual dressing. Under a crew neck or mock turtleneck, the collar sits neatly at the neckline; under a blazer worn on its own, it provides more warmth than a standard cotton poplin shirt.

The Burrows & Hare Cotton & Cashmere shirts in Brown Check and Marl Olive are worth noting for the colder months — the cashmere-blend weave is noticeably warmer and softer than standard cotton and suits work and evening occasions through autumn and winter. See the full men's shirts range.

For an additional layering option between a shirt and a coat, the overshirts collection covers cotton flannel and linen options in heavier constructions suited to wearing as a light outer layer.

Trousers: Texture and Weight

Denim is a year-round fabric, but autumn is a good time to add at least one pair of heavier-weight trousers to the rotation. Cord, cavalry twill and wool flannel trousers add warmth and a texture that works naturally with heavier knitwear and outerwear in a way that slim denim doesn't always manage.

A pair of mid-weight cord trousers in Tobacco, Olive or Navy provides a reliable base for smart-casual autumn outfits. The ribbed surface of cord pairs particularly well with knitwear and flannel overshirts. Wool flannel trousers in Grey or Charcoal move further toward the formal end and sit well with a blazer or under a wool coat for office dressing.

See the men's trousers collection for the current range. For everyday denim, the jeans collection covers straight-leg and slim options across washes.

Accessories: Practical Additions

Autumn accessories — scarves, beanies — are often treated as afterthoughts but make a real difference to warmth and comfort from October onward. The key is choosing pieces in fabrics that actually perform: lambswool and merino wool rather than acrylic, which provides limited warmth and pills quickly through regular use.

Scarves

A wool or cashmere-merino scarf in a neutral or classic pattern — Tartan, Houndstooth, plain Camel — is worth keeping in a coat pocket from October to March. It can be added or removed as needed across a variable day without changing the rest of the outfit. The Burrows & Hare scarves range covers cashmere, merino and pure wool options across patterns and colourways.

Beanies

A lambswool beanie in a neutral — Oatmeal, Navy, Dark Grey — is the simplest addition for cold days and requires no thought to incorporate into an existing outfit. The Burrows & Hare beanie range is made in the UK from 100% lambswool in a wide range of seasonal colourways.

The Layering Logic

The most reliable autumn outfit formula is straightforward: a shirt as the base layer, a knit layer over it, and outerwear on top. The specific pieces within each category can change — linen shirt under a crew neck under a wool coat; Oxford shirt under a mock turtleneck under an overshirt under a jacket on colder days — but the layering sequence stays the same.

Accessories extend the warmth of that formula without adding visible bulk or requiring a heavier coat than you'd otherwise want. A scarf and beanie in complementary tones do more for warmth than a significantly heavier outer layer would, and are easily removed when you're inside.

For the full autumn and winter range, see the knitwear, jackets, winter coats, shirts and accessories collections.