Its no secret that a high percentage of our weather here in London is cold for the most part. So on a daily basis, we stand in front of our wardrobe thinking, what to wear today? Will it suddenly rain? Will I need to keep it light and airy just in case it gets hot? If it ever gets hot? At least I do. And that’s why i’ve decided that today’s blog post will be about how to layer up for those brisk London days.

Rule number one. Keep it simple. A sure fire way to make sure you’re looking sharp as well as toasty is to keep it all in one colour. For me, my go-to is navy of course. I don’t like over-layering to the point you look like a massive marshmallow, waddling on the street. So, with a pair of thermal long johns you could easily style up a pair of navy chinos and a lightweight cashmere sweater with two simple pieces of outerwear; a gilet and a wool jacket. I’ve chosen a gilet that zips all the way up to your neck and a heavier wool jacket to combat those gusts of wind. This 2-in-1 JONNES jacket comes with a removable fur-lined hood, but as it comes in red, it breaks rule number one, so we’re going without. Finish the look off with some monochrome details, black brogues, leather backpack and for me; my signature a mid-brim trilby, and you’re pretty much set for a fool-proof, winter-proof look.

Now, if you want, you could go contrasting and swap out the navy jacket for a more lighter colour. Browns and beiges go quite well with navy so it could be a nicer option if you want to stand out a bit more. Or opt for some funkier printed socks and trainers to make it more casual.

Rule number two, is not so much of a rule and will totally contradict the first rule, but it will test your willingness to experiment a little; and that is to mismatch. By looking at the not-so subtle prints on the inside of some of these Ted Baker jackets, I realised that by picking the right complementary colours, you could create an outfit that will not only be eye-catching but subtle enough that it doesn’t look like you’ve tried at all. And that’s a lot coming from someone whose wardrobe is mainly one colour.

For starters, I chose this camel-coloured 2-in-1 TOWA workwear jacket that features burgundy corduroy collars and also a detachable burgundy gilet as a base. Then thought I might colour block with a matching burgundy zipped funnel neck jumper underneath. And that’s when I thought to keep everything a bit more classic and pop on a pair of dark-wash navy jeans to finish. Had to get the denim in there somehow. the rest was simply accessorising with brown tones to match the buttons on the jacket. Also peep the colourful socks for added flair. This outfit is more on the casual side but switching jeans to chinos, boots to a pair of derbys and the zip-up jumper for a oxford shirt would easily make it fit for a day at the office. And if it ever does get warmer, you could always take off the jacket layer and it’ll still be weatherproof for those warmer summer months.