Shopping between seasons

Despite having to battle through several hundred missing-piece bikinis and sole flip-flops (a flip flop?), I've actually managed to keep a level head in this year's summer sales. I've achieved 'sensible shopper' status by talking myself out of buying light floral-print dresses. My wardrobe has reached saturation point with this type of garment, and they really didn't do me any favours last winter.

Instead, I've scoured the sales for investment pieces that will start to make up my winter wardrobe. River Island came up trumps with studded pixie boots for £15 and khaki army trousers at £20, and among the sea of floaty kaftans that you'd only ever wear two days a year - tops - in Monsoon, I spotted a cosy long marl chunky knit cardigan - half price at £30.

I've already worn all of these pieces - the cardie had a outing in Yorkshire, where it is apparently autumn already - and I'm currently bidding on a pair of low-heeled wooden clog sandals on Ebay that I'll be able to wear bare foot now and with socks when it gets colder - ignoring soon-to-be husband's unsure looks. I love how Laetitia at Madmoiselle Robot wears these.

So, I seem to have acquired what those in the fashion press call 'transitional pieces', with other items in this category for a/w including:

The maxi dress, which can be layered with chunky knits and skinny belts. This Seneca Rising dress in the ASOS sale would make the perfect new season maxi.

The shirt dress (French Connection have some gorgeous bird-print designs - see exhibit one and the Mui Mui-inspired exhibit two), worn with bare legs now and leggings and an undertop or cardi when it gets colder.

The cropped military jacket - big now until the foreseeable future, although personally I'm all about M&S's khaki greatcoat.

Very lovely autumn IMAGE by Flickr user Nicholas_T.