THE colour for Autumn / Winter and how to wear

I must confess, I don't have a lot of grey in my wardrobe. My go to staple colours have always been navy or black. Grey to me just felt boring. I knew it wasn't in my warm autumnal colour palette and to be honest grey clothes just didn't excite me. However, when I started noticing the gorgeous tonal looks from the likes of Mint Velvet and Jigsaw during my personal shops; the grey soft grey knit cashmeres juxtaposed with metallic trousers and gunmetal cowboy boots, I knew I needed to rework some tones and textures of grey back into my wardrobe.

It's anything but boring.

Contrary to the other staple colours, grey quietly screams 'quiet luxury.' It's soft and feminine. From grey tailoring from Fendi to hoodys and skirts from Miu Miu, grey was THE dominant colour on the catwalk. Chanel's signature black and white tweed looks appeared softer with the help of light grey and charcoal hues at the recent PFW. It's a colour we can easily adapt in our wardrobe.

We can introduce tones and textures to keep looks exciting and fresh - all the while without neglecting my famous rule of 3.

Where to start first...

You know me - I always start with the outerwear first. A grey coat is an easy piece to incorporate into your wardrobe. This is always the first piece I shop for when it comes to shopping for clients. We can easily build outfits around our outerwear. A relaxed tailored coat is the perfect staple for any wardrobe. Tailoring dresses up ANY look ( even hoody and joggers. Hip Hip Hooray!)

Style tip: If you're petite and feel an oversized relaxed coat will look too big go for a funnel neck coat in grey instead. The neck shape will help elongate your body. Pair with some grey trousers / jeans and that too will make you look taller.

Textures & Tones

We can keep this pallet interesting by playing around with textures and tones. Metallic always come back around this time of year, just in time for party season. Seen usually in our accessories - the statement clutch or party shoe, we're now seeing silver metallic look trousers and I am SO here for them.

Style tip: Make your shiny trousers the star of the show. They don't need to be competing with anything else. Pair with a simple grey or black roll neck or a soft cashmere jumper. Add some subtle earrings for a finishing touch.

I cannot emphasise enough how important texture and tone is when we're wanting to work monochromatically with a colour. From the head - H&M have got some great grey caps at the moment to an oversized soft scarf ( the bigger the better at the moment with scarfs,) You're already mixing tones and textures without even changing your clothes!

Girl, you better work.

I have loved admiring the grey suit coords this season. A more relaxed feel, we can work with trainers or flats for the office with a basic white tee. Put your wool, grey tailored coat over the top and a soft grey beanie hat for the commute and you're good to go. For a more relaxed style put a soft thinner weight hoody underneath with your blazer as the layering piece.

If cool tones aren't your colour...

Remember your colours are a guide and not the bible. However, if you like the thought of experimenting with grey but unsure it suits you, look at what you're wearing the item with. Necklaces and earrings can add warmth to the face, while a change in lipstick shade can also bring a glow. If the above are just not you then make sure the grey item isn't too close to your face. An asymmetric neckline or off the shoulder item can still work.