Autumn Winter 2023 - corduroy trousers, jackets & shirts for men

If the weather could make up its mind, that would be super helpful - it's been pretty tricky to know what to wear recently hasn't it? Eventually it'll get cooler though, and what easier way to "Autumnise" your wardrobe than by adding an item in corduroy to it?

So, in readiness for the 'cord festival' that my client nearly convinced a few shop assistants was a real event (!) I've picked out some of my favourite pieces from the things I've seen in the shops. 

You can pretty much always rely on Oliver Spencer to have at least a few cord pieces in his collection and this season there's rather more than a few......there's even a cord tie!

If you already have a bomber jacket and an over-shirt in your wardrobe that are good for this time of year, but are looking for something different.........enter the zip up 'Norton' jacket in steel blue cord (also available in tan and olive). 

Wear it right now over a t-shirt, a pair of carpenter pants and trainers. but when we get deeper into winter put it with a chunky jumper, moleskin trousers and boots for a cosy but stylish outfit.

And in anticipation of those rainy days to come, why not renew your backpack for this Rains one? It's fully waterproof, comes with a laptop compartment, and the contrast in fabric and colour to the blue cord means they work really well together.

Blue 'Norton jacket' in Hudson cord - Oliver Spencer - £339
Rolltop rucksack - Rains at Liberty - £105

If you've got a fancy event to attend and want to look a bit different from everyone else wearing navy suits, then this is your answer! In a dusty heather colour, it strikes a beautiful pose for those arty evenings. I tried the rose coloured version with my client on our personal shopping trip yesterday and it looked amazing!

The fit of it comes up long (my client is 6'2" and it was perfect on him) so if you're tall and normally need a longer length in jackets it'll fit you.

For an extra bit of flair you could add this stunning scarf I found in Liberty - the different colours in it, mean it'll go with loads of things.....don't be too precious about it and sling it on with everything! And don't forget you can split the suit up and wear it separately too....the jacket would look great with a navy crew neck, dark jeans and brown loafers for a classic look, and the trousers with the same navy crew neck, a navy bomber jacket and white leather trainers. 

Heather corduroy jacket - Richard James - £845
Heather corduroy trousers - Richard James - £395
Fringed silk scarf - Liberty - £200

Hands up who's loving the comfiness of wider legged trousers after years of skinnies? And to add to that comfort, cord is a gorgeous soft and tactile fabric. Wear these now with a t-shirt and denim jacket or add some layers later on in the season - a check overcoat and chunky cardi should do the trick for winter months.

I've always loved these Anonymous Ism socks and featured them on my blog plenty of times, so I was delighted to hear my friend (who has nothing to do with the fashion industry) saying they were his favourite socks! He also told me they last really well which is great to know. 

'Wes' organic cord tapered trousers - Toast - £185
Pink 5 colour mix crew socks - Anonymous Ism - £20

Not convinced about cord? Then break yourself in gently with a baby cord shirt like this one. You can chuck it on over a t-shirt and jeans right now, or layer it up when the weather gets cooler with a t-shirt underneath and a heavier wool jacket on top.

Though you might not think so at first glance, this colour is actually pretty versatile - it goes with navy, black, charcoal, olive, dark brown, beige - it adds a bit of colour to pretty much all your neutrals.

And when you've just got it layered over a basic t-shirt and jeans you can afford to add some more interest with an embroidered polo belt like this one. As my client always reminds me "the only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorise" (it's a quote in Steel Magnolias) - so don't forget to do it!

Relaxed baby cord shirt in dusty pink - Folk - £120
Embroidered leather polo belt - Sid Mashburn at Mr Porter - £125

Another winning piece from Oliver Spencer - I really like the fact that this can be worn a bit smarter or more casual - you can put it over a white button down shirt, with navy chinos and brown chunky brogues for a slightly smarter look, wear it as a suit (these are the trousers) or make it much more casual with a grey marl sweatshirt,  wide leg beige chinos and these trainers.

It has their signature shirt style cuffs, and it's unstructured so it's never going to be super smart, but if you often find yourself in need of something between a blazer and a casual jacket, this might just be it. Another benefit is the extra button on the jacket, which means it can be buttoned right up when it gets a bit cold.

Someone on Instagram told me about this Japanese trainer brand - Flower Mountain - and now they seem to be popping up everywhere! I really like their use of colour - they have a dizzying variety of mixes too!

'Solms' cotton corduroy blazer - Oliver Spencer at Mr Porter - £390
'Yamano 3' pink and grey trainers - Flower Mountain at Trouva - £165

Are you stuck with what to buy this Autumn and bored to death of always buying the same sorts of clothes? Maybe you'd like to branch out but when you try, you've got no clue how to combine the new piece with any of your other clothes.

Well, help is at hand - you pay me a bit of money and I sort it all out for you!! You can book in for your Autumn Winter shopping trip by clicking the button below, and when I see your order come in, I'll send over a questionnaire for you to fill in and we can get started! in the next couple of weeks, you could have your wardrobe all ready to go for the season ahead and know you have great outfits for all your upcoming events!

Sound good? Book in now! 

And if you're holding back and not quite sure, then read what this client has to say about working with me:

"Working with Sarah Gilfillan at Sartoria Lab was a transformative experience. As someone who has always struggled with fashion, I was in desperate need of an expert's touch. From the initial Colour & Style Consultation to the Wardrobe Edit, Sarah's guidance was invaluable. But the real game-changer was the Personal Shopping experience. Sarah did her homework and knew exactly what would suit me. She took us to a variety of shops, making the often-dreaded task of shopping enjoyable and educational.

One of the key takeaways was understanding the importance of tailoring—Sarah has an uncanny ability to identify how a piece should fit and where adjustments are needed. She also demonstrated that great fashion doesn’t have to break the bank; stylish options are available at every price point. Most importantly, Sarah helped me develop a personal style that is not only fashionable but also makes me feel confident. If you're a man in London looking to upgrade your wardrobe, look no further than Sartoria Lab. Highly recommended!"

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