How to master transitional dressing: 17 clever buys for autumn and beyond

Trench coats, maxidresses and Meg Ryan-inspired layers – here’s what to wear as an Indian summer vies with nippy nights

• What to wear when it rains

Often regarded as a sartorial no man’s land, the shoulder season connects the carefree, bare-armed days of summer with the wrapped-up neck of winter. It can be a tricky time to get dressed, switching between low-20s summer heat and sudden autumn chills – and the rain doesn’t help.

This is the season when layers are your friend, and a few choice ones can help make sure you don’t feel like Joey in Friends wearing the whole of Chandler’s wardrobe, or in need of Mary Poppins’ bottomless bag to cart them around when the sun comes out.