Add-One-Thing Styling Is The Easiest Way To Update Your Autumn Wardrobe

One of Coco Chanel’s most cited styling tips is, “before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” The opposite seemed to be true of the street-style set this autumn, as the outfits outside the shows were a lesson in superfluous layering. From skirts worn over trousers to three shirts worn at once, it’s all about tiered hemlines and a mix of textures to add depth and movement to looks that are otherwise centred around basics.

These outfits might look like they were thrown together at the last second, but it’s not easy to master the wonky styling vibe without looking, well, too wonky. The overall effect is an intuitive and characterful approach to getting dressed, however you still need to pay attention to proportions, rather than literally fashioning yourself like a human Jenga using items from your bedroom floor.

Layering was a key theme in the Prada autumn/winter 2025 collection, where 15 models wore four layered looks that were peeled back each time they took another turn of the runway. “It felt like not just a novel gesture, but a humane one; reminding us of the potential of a few key pieces, and even more so of our own imaginations,” Nicole Phelps wrote in her show report. Hand-knitted scarves were contorted around the neck, sheer skirts were layered over knits and embellished knee-high socks were used to add extra depth to looks that were continually evolving, demonstrating the power of styling.

Prada might have taken layering the most literally, however across the autumn/winter 2026 collections there was a focus on layered basics and texture play – at The Row this was seen with a sheer wisp-of-a fabric layered underneath a V-neck jumper, while New York-based knitwear brand Zankov piled on textures and prints.

Add-one-thing styling is often adopted by the street-style crowd as a way to flex their own personal styling nous and hopefully stand out enough to be noticed by street-style photographers – subtlety doesn’t tend to get you very far in the street-style game. Other popular layering techniques this autumn include pleated skirts worn over tailored trousers, two shirts worn instead of one, knitwear hanging off pretty much any area of the body and oversized tailoring used to create movement, making layering feel less awkward.

Keep reading for eight lessons in layering from the street-style set.

Layer a pleated skirt over trousers

Loop a colourful knit over the shoulders

Lean on XL proportions

When in doubt, add an extra shirt

Add homespun personality knitwear

The T-shirt, shirt and blazer sandwich

Printed silk trousers with a printed pareo wrap on top

Break up suiting with a slip dress added as an extra layer