A rain jacket is the piece that sits on top of everything in autumn: over the shirt, over the knitted cardigan, over the fleece. What matters is not how warm the jacket is on its own, but how quietly it sits over the rest of the outfit.
Five pieces cover the whole wet season: the hooded waterproof windbreaker, the fleece-lined softshell, the zip-up knitted cardigan, the Harrington jacket and the wool trench coat. One rule sets the order in which you put them on.
The rule for every rain jacket: one job per layer
The outer layer keeps the rain out, the layer underneath keeps you warm, and no single piece tries to do both.
As soon as one piece attempts both jobs, something goes wrong. A heavily padded coat is too warm at eight degrees and drizzle, and a wool jumper worn as the top layer soaks up water and stays wet all afternoon. Splitting the jobs solves it: a smooth, water-repellent shell with a hood on the outside, fleece or knit underneath, swapped out as the temperature drops.
In practice, that means buying the shell with a hand's width more room than you think you need, and keeping two warm layers for underneath that you can also take off halfway through the day. Plan it that way, and you do not need a second jacket for the in-between weeks, because the same shell sits over a shirt in September and over a knitted cardigan in November.
The hooded rain jacket: the piece that goes over everything
The hooded waterproof windbreaker is the actual rain jacket: a smooth, matte face fabric, a drawstring hood, a full-length zip and zipped pockets. Quiet colours such as olive, grey and navy work with almost anything underneath.
Three ways to wear it. Over a white long-sleeved dress shirt when the day is still mild, and only the sky has turned. Over the zip-up knitted cardigan with slim-fit chinos and lace-up ankle boots, which is the version that works for a whole wet Saturday. Over a fleece-lined flannel overshirt on the coldest wet mornings, hood up, zip to the chin.
On colour: olive and khaki stay calm when they are wet, while black shows every drop and every water mark until it dries. More hooded shells sit in Jackets.
The fleece-lined softshell: a waterproof jacket with the mid layer built in
The fleece-lined hooded softshell is the heavier shell for cold rain: a weatherproof outer, a hood and a soft fleece lining that shows at the open front.
This is the one exception to the rule, and it proves it: the warm layer is sewn in, so you do not add another one. Zipped to the chin over a plain T-shirt on a cold, wet morning. Open over the white dress shirt when the office is warm and the walk there is not. With cargo joggers and waterproof leather walking shoes at the weekend, when the tread on the sole matters more than the outfit.
One fit detail: the lining takes up room, so try this jacket over a shirt rather than over a jumper; otherwise the shoulders pull. It sits with the rest of the shells in Jackets.
The zip-up knitted cardigan: warmth with a collar
The zip-up knitted cardigan is the civilised version of the warm layer: a full-length zip and a stand collar that holds its shape.
Three combinations. Under the rain jacket instead of a fleece, because the stand collar comes up out of the jacket collar cleanly. With a shirt and pleated dress trousers in the office, in place of a blazer on days when the building is cold. Open over a white shirt with chinos, collar over collar, sleeves left down.
Light grey is the most patient colour here, because it sits happily next to grey, navy and olive. More warm layers are in Knitwear.
The Harrington jacket for dry, windy days
Not every autumn day is a wet one. For dry, blustery days there is the Harrington jacket: a pointed collar, a zip front, welt pockets and a checked lining that shows when the jacket is open.
How it works. With grey chinos and white trainers as the simplest outfit of the week. Over the zip-up knitted cardigan, because the stand collar of the knit and the pointed collar of the jacket sit together without fighting. In black with pleated dress trousers and lace-up ankle boots when the blazer stays at home.
The hem ends at the hip, so the jacket reads longer on the leg with a higher-sitting trouser. The full choice is in the FW26 Collection.
The wool trench coat for wet days with a shirt and blazer
For appointments, there is the mid-length single-breasted wool trench coat: a notched lapel, a clean front and a length that ends just above the knee. Grey, black and brown are the colours that go with every suit.
Three ways. Over a shirt and a single-breasted blazer as the straightforward smart-casual coat. Over the zip-up knitted cardigan on days that do without the blazer. With pleated trousers and suede penny loafers, but only when the air is dry, because wool and suede both dislike hours of rain.
The length matters more than any detail on the lapel: it has to cover the blazer completely; otherwise the jacket hem shows below the coat. Shirts, blazers and trousers to go with it are in Smart Casual.
How many layers does a wet day need?
Three is the maximum: shirt or T-shirt, then fleece or knit, then the shell. Every extra layer costs you movement at the shoulder, and that is exactly where a jacket bought a size too small goes first. If you want warmth without bulk, the sleeveless quilted puffer gilet is the flattest warm layer in the range and disappears under a shell.
The order of the collars decides how the whole thing looks. The shirt collar sits inside, the stand collar of the knit or the gilet shows two fingers' width above it, and the jacket collar stays open until it really starts to pour. Do not roll the sleeves when a shell goes over the top, because the fabric bunches inside the sleeve.
Below the waist, keep it simple: straight slim-fit chinos or pleated dress trousers with a narrow hem, plus a shoe with a proper sole. Waterproof leather walking shoes and lace-up ankle boots both grip on wet paving and work with all five jackets. Trousers are in Trousers and the soles in Shoes.
Colours and surfaces for autumn outfits: olive, grey and navy
A rain jacket is matte, fleece is brushed, knit is marled, and wool is dull. Four surfaces across three layers are enough variety for any autumn outfit, and a tan corduroy overshirt is a fifth if you want one under the shell.
Colours hold together best when they stay in one family. Olive or khaki on the outside, beige or light grey in the middle, grey or navy on the trousers: that works on every grey day. If you want contrast, keep it small, for example, a checked lining or a brown boot under a grey coat.
Black on black on black looks heavy in the wet, because every wet surface shines at once. One lighter piece in the middle breaks it up. Shirts and overshirts for that job are in Polos & Shirts.
Fit, care, and the most common mistakes
The most common mistake: buying the rain jacket too close to the body. A shell has to fit over fleece or knit, not over a T-shirt. If you are between sizes, take the larger one and check, standing up, that both arms swing forward freely.
Second mistake: wool as the top layer in steady rain. The wool trench coat and suede loafers are made for cold, dry days. When it is actually raining, the hooded windbreaker and a rubber-soled shoe take over.
Third mistake: washing too hot. Fleece and coated shells want cold water, a mild detergent, and no fabric softener, because softener clogs the water-repellent surface. No tumble dryer, and close the zips before washing.
Fourth mistake: putting a wet jacket straight into a closed wardrobe. A wet shell belongs on a wide hanger in moving air with the hood turned out. Only hang it back up once it is dry, or it will smell within two days.
Fifth mistake: too many jackets and too few layers in between. Two shells and three warm layers cover more weather than five jackets that all do the same thing.
If you are starting from scratch, buy in this order: first the hooded waterproof windbreaker as your rain jacket, then the zip-up knitted cardigan as the warm layer, then the fleece-lined hooded softshell for cold, wet mornings, and last the wool trench coat for cold, dry days with a shirt and blazer. All four sit in Jackets.
