Get your dress coat: the hardworking autumn hybrid giving you two for one

Much like the weather itself, the subject of how to weather the weather is one which we will never tire of.

You’d think that being British would give us the upperhand at dealing with a forecast which can’t make up its mind. But apparently not. Because every year, the transition from summer to autumn still, inevitably, comes as a shock.

And no sooner had we got used to the idea of flinging on a sun dress and waltzing out of the door than we’re forced back into our thermals.

But this seasonal adjustment is easier said than done when all of last winter’s jumpers are bobbly or moth-eaten and you can’t remember what you put on your feet before they were surgically attached to your Birkenstocks.

And then there’s the not-so-small matter of a coat - a concept which may seem foreign after months of needing little more than a lightweight summer jacket, but which increasingly refuses to be ignored.

So what’s the solution when it’s wet but warm or sunny yet definitely not suitable for sunbathing? If you - like the forecast - aren’t ready to fully commit to the cold, consider the dress coat. Not, I hasten to add, a swishy sky-blue number in the manner of Kate Middleton. Instead, a dress masquerading as a coat has become a far cooler proposition this season and offers the perfect antidote for those “meh” weather days.

For clarification as to what exactly this constitutes, look to COS.

The high-street heroes of utilitarian practicality have nailed so-called “pre-fall” with one khaki drawstring-back-shirt dress. Crafted from heavy-duty crisp cotton poplin and with a button-down front, it’s the most versatile layering tool we’ve found since Uniqlo’s skinny Heat-Tech roll- necks.

Done up, belted and worn with bare legs (above), it provides the ideal everyday autumn dress - substantial enough not to be mistaken for an August hanger-on but not so snuggly that you could be mistaken for already slipping into hibernation mode.

Equally - and this is the really clever part - it looks ace worn open and layered under a jumper and over jeans (below), while the drawstring back allows you to adjust the fit depending on how chunky you’re going with the underlayers.

Just as ingenious in its construction is Kitri Studio’s Anorak Dress (below).

Cut from a lightweight crinkle finish fabric, it’s by no means the warmest addition to your wardrobe - or, for that matter, waterproof. Instead, its anorak-like qualities lie in its aesthetic, featuring a ring-pull zip-front and retro sportswear-style funnel neck.

It’s also designed to be multi-functional, doubling as both a dress and a throw-on cover-up.

The key to the dress coat/coat dress hybrid is to seek out longer lengths. Both COS and Kitri’s styles are calf-grazing for good reason - any shorter and you run the risk of looking like you’re doing a flasher-dash to grab a pint of milk in just your coat.

A dress which also doesn’t open fully at the front will also do a bad job of pretending to be a coat.

Toast - a brand which routinely prefers championing functionality over following trends - also boasts a series of lab coat-style denim shirt dresses (below) this season, available in ecru and indigo pinstripe and complete with jacket-like patch front pockets.

Or for an elegant evening option, try Zara’s long floral print blazer dress which offers cocktail-hour class, minus the cloakroom queue at the end of the night.