Fashion to cover all seasons

The warmest start to October ever has caused one or two headaches for women who can’t decide what’s best to wear, as Maria Cusine reports. We women have enough fashion dilemmas without the weather causing chaos. We are currently stuck in ’sort of autumn’ but are also enjoying temperatures which are much more like summer. This unseasonable weather is doing its best to put a dampener on what we wear on a daily basis.

Should we be dressing for summer, autumn or winter? Is it time to pull our winter woolies out of hibernation or can we cling on to our summertime T-shirts?

Climate

When one day is as warm as late summer, and the next as chilly as what we normally expect for October, we really need a wardrobe to cover all seasons.

We should be grateful that in the fashion world’s current climate there is no definitive divide to the seasons.

But such unusual weather is having an impact on the High Street, where sales of the traditional autumn ranges are down as people stick to their summer clothes.

Designers say grey is the colour of the current season - depending on which season we are actually in of course - but stores are actually blaming it for a sales slump.

But grey is hardly a bright, festive colour. It’s no wonder we are all a bit off-colour when deciding what to wear.

For some women it seems it’s still a case of no jacket required, while others are all wrapped up in layers.

So I decided to hit the streets of Wolverhampton to find out how the city’s females are dressing.

Expectant mother Anita Hill knows only too well about the need to make sure she’s prepared for the elements, having to keep warm - or cool - for two.

Mrs Hill was looking very autumnal as she stepped out shopping in shades of brown.

“It can be difficult knowing what to wear at the moment, as the weather seems to change from one day to the next,” said Mrs Hill, a mobile hairdresser from Castle Croft, Wolverhampton.

“I know the colour of the season is supposed to be grey but I’m happier in browns and blacks,” said Mrs Hill who was wearing a brown poncho cape from Marks & Spencer’s Autograph range, teamed up with H & M maternity trousers and H & M brown pumps.

Flower seller Joanne Knight, 33, of Kingswinford, dresses for the elements as she works outdoor every day.

Practical, rather than making a fashion statement, her working wardrobe can include up to eight layers at a time. She was wearing five when we caught up with her on her flower stall in Dudley Street.

Changing

“I’ve got a vest top, T-shirt, jumper, cardigan and body warmer on the top part of me and I’m still frozen,” she laughed.

“But when winter does arrive I’ll have many more layers on top.

“It has been awkward lately because of the changing weather, but I decided layers are the best option as I can easily take some off.”

Student Victoria Zentai was all wrapped up for winter in an outfit from across the globe.

The 22-year-old languages and culture exchange student at Wolverhampton University was dressed in a knee-length brown cord coat teamed with jeans and trainers - all of which were snapped up overseas.

Victoria, who hails from Hungary and now lives in France, has only been in the city five weeks but was enjoying the mild weather.

“I was quite surprised how warm it was when I arrived but it’s turned colder now and so I’m getting my winter clothing on.”

But a nip in the air didn’t deter teenager Joanna Vaughan from stepping out in a T-shirt.

The 18-year-old from Wombourne sported a New Look T-shirt teamed with River Island jeans.,

“It is hard to decide what to wear but thankfully I’m not feeling the cold at the moment,” the trainee dancer said.

“I like wearing bright coloured clothes, especially T-shirts,” she added.

Be warned, girls - the balmy weather conditions are set to continue in years to come.

“These sort of conditions are what we would expect in the longer term if global warming is having its predicted effect,” said a Met Office spokesman.

Better get used to it, girls.