It’s time to learn the art of layering – and we’re talking a crew neck with a ballet wrap and blazer, not full-on outdoor explorer
Is layering an art? Probably not in the traditional sense. We are not talking the Bayeux tapestry here. No one is going to queue round the block to admire the subtle interplay between your Uniqlo Heattech and your cashmere crewneck. Still, I think it’s nice to romanticise this stuff. The deeply unpoetic truth is that it is going to get cold and wearing one item of clothing at a time simply isn’t going to cut it. So let’s pretend that the sliver of white T-shirt beneath a jumper, the shirt collar poking out above a cardigan, or the ballet wrap over a snug top are not acts of basic thermal self-preservation, but composition. A creative statement about proportion, texture, colour and self-expression. If you have to wear half your wardrobe at once, you may as well make a masterpiece out of it.
The avant-garde layering term to drop in order to sound like a connoisseur this season is onion dressing. Not the most romantic name, but a clear visual for the most refined form of layering, which is fine layers rather than hefty ones. And instead of the top layer covering all beneath it, each piece should be visible. As if we were slicing through the onion and looking at a cross-section if you will excuse me labouring the allium thing. This is layering with finesse rather than brute force. Hems and collars and cuffs give an outfit depth and texture without adding too much bulk. You want to look intriguing and multi-dimensional, not like Joey in Friends wearing all of Chandler’s clothes.