So here we are in September – those of us who are summer lovers have to remind ourselves that it's a beautiful month, as is October. And actually having been to Medellin in Colombia this year where they live in an eternal spring with temperatures always around the mid-20s and the sun rising and setting at around 6am/pm every day of the year, I'm feeling newly enthusiastic about our changing seasons. After the loose days of summer I'm ready to get back into a routine, in fact I need to get back into a routine of regular exercise and healthy eating, my body's craving it.
I woke up on Monday and knew instinctively that it was 1st September, something had shifted overnight. When I went into my dressing room I was drawn to autumn colours and I had to remind myself to hold off – I'll be wearing those clothes for months and months so I'm resisting putting them on for as long as possible. Now's the time to start planning and shopping for your AW wardrobe while still delaying the gratification of putting new things on for a little while yet. So today we'll think a little more about the season to come and I'm especially pleased to be launching Autumn/Winter 25 with Marks & Spencer because haven't we missed them? Before I show you my early season edit, let's talk about AW25 at M&S.
Let's talk about AW25 at M&S
We all know that they were offline for quite a few weeks after Easter while they recovered from the cyber attack. Now they're back and fully firing – so keen to get people ordering online again that they're offering free delivery for orders over £60. The only thing that's still a little different is that customer generated reviews aren't available yet for new season products, they'll be back but for now it's a case of shopping the old fashioned way by looking for feedback from journalists and people like me.
While the work on the technical infrastructure has been going on, they've been reviewing and reorganising their in-house brands. You can't have missed the fact that the big news at the moment is that it's Autograph's 25th birthday. It's a range that I remember loving instantly when it launched because it was the place to go for perfect, high quality capsule pieces. The looks were lean and clean without any fussy twiddle and it was right up my street. Over the years though it lost its way a bit. Of course a principal problem for a range that focuses on a timeless look is that once people have bought their beautifully made trench/cashmere jumper/clean jeans, they don't need to replace them for a long time. It's always hard for brands with classic chic at their core to keep on innovating.
This season though Autograph has been reinvented while still remaining true to its ethos. The collection hadn't launched in time for my edit so I can't show you how the pieces look on me but I do want to highlight a few before they sell out. I'm starting with this jacket – talk about Me+Em at M&S prices, it's such a strong wardrobe workhorse. I am, of course, imagining it worn with flared jeans and a raised neck jumper but it would also look great with skirts and winter midi-dresses – this is the proportion you need to stay warm without the clash of hem lengths that can come with a full length coat.
For those of you who are leopard lovers I'm flagging this blouse. It's still an animal print but less busy and personally I prefer it, it's just such a chic and slinky number and yet the neckline means it isn't too sexy for daywear.
The Autograph range is majoring on shades of brown worn with blue and here it is at its most stunning. If you're thinking of working it in to your own wardrobe adapt it to your contrast level – you'll notice that the model has high natural pigment in her hair, brows and lips. Even though these shades are both in my colour palette I don't think I have high enough contrast in my colouring to wear them together like this in winter when I have no natural skin on show to balance it out. I'd need to go for a more knocked back or tonal version. If you can rock this though you'll look amazing.
Alpaca rich jumper; Satin pleated skirt
And there's a brilliant new collection of Autograph lingerie. This is quite niche but I know there are a few of us here who live in a constant hunt for mesh bras. They give the most natural form and if you have breasts with a wide base that aren't especially full then they fit far better than a moulded lump. There must be a lot of us out there because this is selling out within days of the launch but here you go, it's also available in black and there's a more supportive version for larger cup sizes here.
Quite a few of you lamented the lack of real leather pieces on offer at M&S last year. That's now changed and Autograph is the place to find them. As well as classic leather jackets there are some very special pieces such as this car coat. Even I would veer into black if I had this because the shine won't suck the light out of your complexion in the same way that flat black does. Imagine it with a black polo neck jumper, black jeans and heeled boots – or worn over a column of red. It's the sort of look that a midlifer can pull off beautifully.
And then there's this leather snake suit. If it's too much for you all together then you could just pair the trousers with heels and a brightly coloured knit – switch it for a blouse in the evening and you already have a chic city break capsule – go M&S!
Let's talk about AW25 at M&S – the other sub-brands
Ok I'm going to stop talking about Autograph now although I'll just add that the new cashmere colours are out, completely different to last year for those who collect them – you'll find them all here. Before I move on to my edit though, I'll just recap on the rest of the own brand womenswear ranges as they stand because it's now all very clearly organised at M&S. You have Goodmove for anything sporty or athleisure, my walking friends rave about the stretchy, water repellent walking trousers. There's Per Una which ticks the Boho box, often with looser, less structured pieces and of course M&S now also owns Jaeger with all of its heritage and back catalogue for timeless pieces. Then there's M&S Collection. This is where you'll find the great value classics as well as the more trend led items, it's deliberately well-priced so that people can have fun with introducing a bit of affordable seasonality into their wardrobe.
AW25 at M&S – my edit
I was invited to make my selection two weeks ago when the very first AW25 drop arrived. More pieces are landing all the time so I'll take you through the first ones to catch my eye and follow on with a mini-update of new arrivals.
Shades of brown
I'm going to start with some real autumn colours and it felt very strange putting this outfit on after months of summer brights but my eye soon adjusted to it, particularly as it was a chilly day in Newcastle. You'll spot that we were working in our new office space over there. I've mentioned quite a few times that I find it hard to concentrate in the flat and it's been hindering us spending longer stretches of time there. It's fine working in a cafe for a while but you never know how chatty the people around you are going to be and so we've been looking for a solution. We now have an arrangement to work in the offices of one of Newcastle's beautiful old theatre buildings which is absolutely perfect.
Anyway this is supposed to be about clothes so let's talk about what I'm wearing. This deer print skirt caught my eye as soon as it launched because animal print is a continuing trend this season but as I often mention, I find leopard a bit too harsh for my colouring. This fawn is a great alternative, it's a crinkle skirt so it moves beautifully as you walk and it's great for packing because it's best stored scrunched up. It's easy care and easy to wear with an elasticated waist – I'm in a 12 regular and it's exactly right but it also comes in petite and long. I've styled it tonally here but as a neutral you could pair it with with brightly coloured jumpers too – I'm imagining it with red or cobalt or green, winter doesn't have to be dull.
Deer print skirt; fluffy cardigan, buccaneer boots
And now I have to jump straight to the boots because they fill me with joy. There's a big trend this season for what are being called pirate or buccaneer boots – they're what we called slouch boots back in the noughties, do you remember them? I used to buy mine from Jigsaw and even back then they cost twice the price of these. I lived in them and I remember having them reheeled and resoled so many times that by the end they were like Aladdin boots with the toe curling up at the front!
I don't often use the word amazing but these are. They're full suede rather than microfibre – I often find that boots like this have a suede shoe part with a microfibre leg but these are 100% leather and it's super soft. Plus they're Insolia lined – M&S don't apply Insolia to all of their shoe styles any more but these have it and so they're uber comfortable to walk in. Even though the toe is pointed it's been designed quite wide so it doesn't pinch. They're going to work as a neutral with dresses and skirts of all colours and I'm going to play around with tucking jeans into them too – I bet the slouch will look fresh with a pair of my old skinny jeans… we'll see.
In terms of sizing I do wish there was a half size – I'm a Euro 41 and I tried both a 7 and 8. The 7 fit perfectly but I was worried about wearing them with thicker winter tights so I went for the 8 and will add an insole if I need to. They also come in black and I give them an absolute ten out of ten.
Deer print skirt; buccaneer boots
Now I need to talk about the alpaca blend cardigan which was another big love. It's a rich colour and it has a chunky cable knit which makes it really cosy. It'll be good enough to wear as a jacket until mid-November I'd say and then when it gets colder it will be the instinctive thing to reach for. Please do this in a whole rainbow of colours M&S.
Deer print skirt; fluffy cardigan, buccaneer boots
It really grew on me over the weekend and I found I wore it a lot. It looked just as good dressed down with jeans as it did with a skirt. The ties at the front are much nicer than buttons and you can play around with them so that it sits perfectly to work with whatever you're wearing underneath.
This gives you a better idea of the cable knit and the subtle marl in the yarn. It's a bit oversized so I ended up going for a small which felt right, there will still be space for jumpers underneath when temperatures drop. I wish I'd bought it in the lighter rose quartz colour as well but that's already sold out in the smaller sizes.
I'm sure you've already spotted that shades of brown are the key neutral this season and that's great because they fit with autumn far better than grey, black or navy, doing a lot of the seasonal heavy lifting for you. I'll go through the main AW25 trends and colours in a post soon but if you're itching to shop, just remember to look for texture with your brown pieces. Like other neutrals such as grey or navy it doesn't work as well in a flat texture like cotton because it sucks up all of the light. You need texture from wool, suede, corduroy, velvet or pebbled leather to give it oomph.
AW25 at M&S – Autumn colour
For those of you like me who are colour lovers, there are other great autumn options though and as always, I'm going to say that burgundy isn't the best one of them. Unless the autumn palette really suits your skintone and you know you like wearing it all year round then resist the rush towards it that always happens at this time of year. Retailers push it really hard because everyone has an appetite for a complete palette refresh after summer brights but I find burgundy can be like cheap prosecco – it seems like a good idea but it gives you the worst hangover. You see you won't really wear it after early November when you'll start moving towards the Christmas brights. In January burgundy feels like the piece of old tinsel in the corner of the office because all you want to wear is spring colours.
So what do I suggest instead? Go for the other leaf colours, oranges and greens, because they'll still feel great in spring and summer. They look seasonally appropriate right now but they have enduring power.
And of course I have an immediate option for you here because M&S are thinking along the same lines. This isn't just a twinset… it's an M&S twinset (you really should bring that campaign back M&S!). The jumper is a simple crew neck but the cardigan has sporty styling with its flattering raised collar, zip front and patch pockets. It would work with brown and it also looks really good with blue jeans but I've teamed it with a pair of tonal khaki cords here in my favourite M&S patch pocket flares. This cut is already one of their permanent bestsellers in denim and so now they've extended it.
The cords come in black and (ahem) burgundy too. They're really flattering but I do need to mention leg length. As with last season I'm finding that M&S come up short on their trouser lengths. In most brands I'm a regular and that's what I'm wearing here but they don't have the drama that they should so I'll need to change them for the long. For a full leg lengthening effect with flares you need them to break over the front of your shoe so that it's barely visible, otherwise you risk looking like a noughties bootcut throwback.
Soft touch knitted jacket; Supersoft jumper; Patch pocket cord flares (low stock in green but other colours here)
Here's a close-up of the jumper and cardigan which M&S are actually listing as a jacket. It's heavyweight so I think that's fair enough. When I put my order in there were only Mediums available but if I could, I'd switch it over to a small to neaten the shoulderline – it's a matter of personal preference. There are lots of colours available in the jumper and the jacket comes in soft grey as well.
Layering up – AW25 at M&S
As you know I tend to dress completely differently for my more rural lifestyle on the west coast than my urban Newcastle one. I find it a lot easier to feel well dressed and on trend in my city life because practical considerations don't matter as much. Life at home is quieter, I'm either at my desk, at the gym, walking the dog or having coffee with a friend so I'm mostly on the lookout for things that will lift jeans outfits.
Preppy style is a trend that's been around with marine touches for summer and now it's morphing into its winter sport interpretation with a rugby angle for now and then après ski as we get closer to the end of the year. This soft, warm rugby jumper is a perfect take on an easy trend and it comes in two colours. At first I veered towards the deeper mole brown version but that has a black stripe so when I saw the navy and camel one, I knew it would be great with darker wash jeans. It's another one of M&S's supersoft knits, a viscose blend and so it's breathable but also really comfortable to wear without any itchiness. There's been a lot of press coverage of this piece so stock is starting to dwindle already – I'm wearing a size small and it feels right, it's quite an oversized piece. I've paired it with the patch pocket flares that I've had for ages now. They're a bestseller and so stock varies, it's low at the moment on this indigo dye but they'll be replenished before too long.
Rugby jumper; Patch pocket flares
It's going to be time to layer up before we know it and gilets are tricky because they're incredibly useful and yet they can easily look frumpy. The good thing about this one is that it's slightly cropped so it gives you a rule of two thirds split that avoids what my boys call the 'barbecue dad' look. I know it's going to layer really nicely under long wool coats too to give them a bit more of a sporty aesthetic. I got so used to the warmth of puffer coats over lockdown that I find it hard to wear an ordinary coat and feel warm now. This gilet comes in a dark chocolate version as well and it's water repellent. I'm wearing a 12 here and it's quite loose at the back so if you're planning to layer it, size down.
Thermowarmth short puffer gilet; Rugby jumper; Patch pocket flares
This is a simple, clean cut, waterproof mac. The sort of thing you'll find yourself throwing on for dog walks all the time in November (it comes in navy as well as this lighter colour if you worry about muddy paws). I chose this because I've had a similar one in black that I've loved for a long time – but I never really want to wear black on a dark day. The thing I hadn't expected was the padding, it's a warm coat rather than a light raincoat. I'm wearing a 12 and again I think it's quite roomy – unless you want to wear a lot of layers underneath I'd size down.
Hooded longline rain jacket; Rugby jumper; Patch pocket flares
So that was my try-on and as I said at the beginning, new pieces drop all the time at M&S so it's always a good idea to keep an eye on the 'new in' section. Here's my pick from this week's arrivals.
If you're looking for a coat in a brighter colour that won't break the bank this is a great option. It will lift winter outfits and it'll still look good in spring.
Add oomph to your outfits, especially if you're trying to lift a classic black coat. It's not just the pattern but the texture too because they're leather ponyskin.
A great value way of adding nubbly texture to your AW25 look. It has good proportions, it will dress up or dress down and there's plenty of room for layers underneath
Another cardigan option with great texture and a cut that will add visual length to your legs. Also available in cream – if you don't like the buttons, switch them over.
Very much on the pirate trend and such a sexy date night/brunch look. Perfect with jeans for a dressed up/down outfit. Also in cream or black.
This has already sold out and been replenished once – wear it now with lovely autumn knits and in December with red or black. Get it while you can.
So many people asked about my 2018 graduation shoes – they're back! You think you won't wear them but they'll lift plain outfits for years to come.
A prime example of brown with texture, this will bounce the light. Plus it has a great body contouring shape. Also available in leopard
A great tee for wearing under crew neck jumpers for a tipping effect. The neckline has enough weight to sit well and pop.
It's been great to start the season with a first look at AW25 at M&S, let's all support them and help a great British brand to get back on track – I hope you feel inspired to do a spot of planning and shopping this weekend.
Midlifechic Retreat 2
In the meantime thank you to everyone who added their name to the mailing list for the second Midlifechic Retreat which will take place from 27th – 29th March 2026. I've been overwhelmed by the response, it seems we could fill it many times over but I don't want to extend the number of places because I think it needs to stay intimate. I'm going to send the email out for bookings tomorrow, Saturday 6th September at 12pm so if you've registered, be ready. It feels as though it's going to fill up very quickly again so please don't feel frustrated if you don't manage to get a place this time around – I'm going to talk to Sharon about perhaps running a couple more next year, it just depends on whether we can get our diaries to align.
There won't be a post next Friday because I'm heading away now for a week with Mal to recharge my battery, I need a bit of rest and recuperation after a summer of rock and roll. When I get back I'll have a full focus on the season ahead. I'm looking forward to knuckling down to a healthy routine… as always balanced out with finding the joy the autumn and winter seasons (there's always space for fun times within the good!). Have a great week and I'll see you again soon.
