A new season, particularly autumn winter, feels like a turning of the page. The kids go back to school, the leaves change colour, the weather becomes cosy: it’s a moment that cries out for a sartorial change in gear. And while it can be tempting to overhaul your wardrobe with a glut of new pieces, we’re more conscious of consumption than ever. Is it unrealistic to think we won’t buy anything new? Probably. In the spirit of balance, we’ve created a glossy new series 2+2; where style influencers share the pieces they’re investing in for autumn winter and the forever stalwarts they’ll be carrying over from previous seasons. Up this week, Contributing Editor at THE GLOSS Sarah Macken (Instagram @ohegartysarah) waxes lyrical about a love of stripes and shares the investment accessories she’s currently coveting. 

Long sleeved T-shirts have become my new wardrobe hero. They’re perfect for an Irish summertime, when it’s too chilly for cap sleeves, and I layer them under crew neck jumpers and knitted cardigans in the winter too. One of the first fashion classics I ever alighted upon was a Breton top. I spent my twenties scouring vintage shops for ‘the one’, that was usually navy on white, or sometimes white on navy (on one fruitful trip to Le Marais in Paris I found amazing heavyweight ones for around €5), in a mix of short and long sleeves. I still find them one of the most invaluable pieces you can own; stripes are basically a neutral so I wear them with jeans, formal skirts, or I’ll even clash them with leopard print. I’m nothing if not consistent, so I’m taking the obsession one step further by tracking down the perfect ticking stripe chair for my living room. This long sleeve from Arket (shop similar below) feels a bit different with its zinging tomato red stripe: it’s a firm favourite. 

Striped organic cotton jersey T-shirt, Bella Freud, €80; www.theoutnet.com.

I rarely make impulse buys, I like to plan some core purchases each season that will bring life to the forever pieces I have in my wardrobe. However, when I saw these wallpaper print trousers in & Other Stories (similar below) there was something so Elton John about them that I was hooked. They remind me of a piece from the style influencer Olivia Purvis’ wardrobe, which is always nicely nostalgic. Yes, the palette is quite summer-y, but I’ve been adapting them for colder days with thick, cosy cable knits, and a pair of patent ankle boots for after-dark: you can easily switch things into winter-mode by loading up on texture.

Théophile trousers, €130; www.sezane.com. 

One of my biggest delights these past few seasons is seeing scarves and neckerchiefs come back into fashion. I’ve always loved the idea of a skinny scarf or cravat around the neck, the key is to wear it skinny and knotted at the neck, with a trinket necklace or two (more Leandra Medine than Queen Elizabeth II). I’d love to invest in a Liberty print, they’re fabulously feminine and, styled the right way, have a contemporary edge. 

Liberty print poppy silk scarf, €230; www.libertylondon.com. 

All hail: the party flat! There’s nothing more festive than a burgundy velvet Mary Jane, so I have asked Santa to bring me these ones by Madrid label Flabelus, each pair is responsibly made by artisans in Spain and Portugal, and the soles are fashioned from recycled rubber. I have the same pair in black which I wear to death.

Lucrecia Mary Jane shoe, €104; www.flabelus.com. 

Follow Sarah on Instagram (@ohegartysarah) here.