I’m the first to hold my hands up and admit I am not the best when it comes to reining in and pumping up that willpower to just. Stop. Buying. New fashion trends! I’ve got a LOT better (most of my student loans went on stress-buying clothes I didn’t need) and now, I’m trying to be a lot more conscious of where my money goes, for the sake of the planet. But the worst time for my (already waning) willpower is when the seasons change. September-October is THE biggest season change and trend-appearing time for fashion. Fashion Weeks circle the globe, cosy transitional trends pop up and suddenly, your summer wardrobe won’t cut it for the colder months. And, believe me, it’s OKAY to admit we find it hard during these months to not make a purchase or two. But one thing I’ve been trying to do this season is purchase one or two pieces I KNOW will 1) last me for years to come and 2) will transform all my existing outfits in a flash, so that I’m not tempted to purchase anything else. And this Autumn, I think I’ve found the ONE piece we all need in our wardrobes to transform any and every look.
It’s the Grandad vest.
Hear me out. This little versatile knit can 1) be very easily found in your local charity shop (they’re always popping up) and 2) goes WITH EVERYTHING and TRANSFORMS EVERY OUTFIT. Throw your Grandad vest on with a maxi dress, over a midi skirt, with jeans, with a funky collared top, on its own for the warmer Autumnal days (have these gone already? Who knows?) and it brings a trend-led, comfy ass and new angle to any look. I just want to live in it, and there’s nothing more fun than throwing clothes out your wardrobe with careless abandon to try and find new and exciting ways to dress up the vest.
Inspired yet? Persuaded to purchase one? Let’s have a chat about the vest itself.
This baby is from Monki, our favourite high street store that actually thinks about sustainability more than its competitors. I know we have to be careful and wary of greenwashing (where brands that aren’t best sustainable dress up their products to seem it as a marketing ploy) but this vest’s material was grown with less water and no pesticides, improving the environment for wildlife and cotton farmers, and is part of Monki’s ‘responsible edit’. It’s hard to shop from completely sustainable brands, as the price tag isn’t something that sadly most of us can justify, but I like to hope this Monki vest, which will be reused for years and years to come, is a slightly more conscious piece we can invest in. The vest I purchased is currently out of stock, but you can find some similar pieces by the brand here and here.
Now, let’s move on to the outfits you can style up with this versatile baby, meaning your new-in, trends-led excitement to purchase clothes can be satiated for the rest of the season. I still buy new, but my goal is to ensure that the small amount of pieces I’ve bought for the new season will refresh my existing outfits and will comfortably become a much-used and well-loved piece for years to come.
The preppy Blair Waldorf lewk
This shirt dress is one of my favourites – it’s such a transitional piece in itself, ‘cos this baby has taken me from spring, to summer, to autumn. It can already be styled so many ways: as a dress, tucked into jeans, over joggers. And throw on a headband and you’ve got major Gossip Girl vibes xoxo
The 70s dreamer lewk
Okay, confession time: this dress is one of the few pieces I’ve bought for A/W. I can’t resist the 70s trends that come in year after year, and I know this will see me through to spring and beyond. It’s quite a distinct print, so there’s only so many ways you can wear it – which makes this vest on top an absolute dream. It brings something fresh to the lewk.
The ‘this-isn’t-a-summer-dress-look-I’m-wearing-a-vest’ lewk
My absolute favourite dress of summer was this. I love a floaty, bohemian vibe in summer and thanks to its darker prints, it’s perfect for a transition to autumn. Throw this vest on top, and you take the lewk to a new level of cool. I adore it.
The office-worker-meets-fashhun lewk
9am meeting? Report due by midday? No worries, we got it in this LEWK. Blazers are BIG for A/W and a Grandad vest compliments the blazer perfectly. Now, go get on Zoom, gal. Want to see this one in the flesh? Check out my latest reel where I’m road-testing these lewks here.
The all-out neutrals lewk
I thought I’d save my (personal best) ’til last. I ADORE this lewk. All-out neutrals is a trend that’s been doing the rounds for a while now, and I know it’s here to stay. This vest sets the lewk off perfectly, and the contrasting texture breaks up the outfit, which is perfect because otherwise the contrasting hues in the outfit coulda looked a bit mismatched. But this vest says, ‘it’s supposed to be like that, okaaaay?’. Loves it.
