As October arrives, the season starts to change and autumn is upon us. The mornings have that damp feel and there is a chill in the air. It can be a difficult month where clothes are concerned because the days often have that cool start, but by lunchtime there is brilliant sunshine and we are sweltering in what now seems an ill-chosen outfit.

The children are now settled into their new school, and mums and dads are getting to know some of the other parents at the school gate. I remember well how important it was for me to try to look my best first thing in the morning – and how difficult!

Dressing casual is not as effortless as it sounds

Now I know that moments before you leave the house you are going to be scooting around the floor on hands and knees, helping to clean teeth and all manner of tasks that mean you cannot be wearing anything too precious. I also know that even dressing casual is not as effortless as it sounds. So let’s put some effort into achieving effortless!

The first thing to consider is actually that being casual is also being stylish. Don’t simply use the clothes that have past their best as casual wear – they are still past their best and not necessarily appropriate for the school gate. Why not treat yourself to a few pieces that are just for casual wear. As you may spend most of your time wearing casual clothes, it’s worth the effort.

Peel off when it gets warm later in the day

Think about the colours that look great on you, and make sure you have several mix and match tops from T-shirts to polo neck, camisoles to sweat tops. All practical and available in lots of styles and colours to suit you, and best of all essential for layering so you can peel off when it gets warm later in the day.

Choose flattering colours and good quality

You also need to have more than one choice for the bottom half. A pair of comfy jeans (in good repair), a skirt that can be worn with lovely thick tights on colder days, and jodhpurs – if they work for you – perfectly made to tuck into those fab wellies or winter boots later in the year.

You will need a couple of coats too: the practical wind and rainy one, long enough to cover your bottom and in a flattering colour; and then the woolly one for cold days, which is worth splashing out on for good quality.

Just add some lovely scarves (silk, jersey or wool as appropriate) to accessorise and you will look amazing! If you’re not confident about the styles and colours that work for you, why not invest in a personal style coach to help you get started.