How to strike

Corduroy blazer, £49.99 and trousers, £35.99, reserved. com; loafers, £250, meand em.com

GETTInG dressed in the dog days of autumn, before the clocks go back, can be a challenge. It’s still not quite cold enough to break out the opaques, but bare legs and floral frocks feel freezing and look wrong.

So hurrah for the corduroy revival — the perfect solution to transition dressing. Made from cotton, pieces in this versatile fabric let your skin breathe but feel cosy and can be layered with T- shirts, turtlenecks or cardigans.

When I was a young girl, my favourite skirt was a needlecord Laura Ashley number. With that nostalgic thought in mind, I’ve just invested in a rose-pink Boden needlecord dress.