There are certain adjectives we would all like to aspire to when it comes to building a winning outfit: stylish, effortless, elegant, cool, the list goes on. But, in our minds, “low-effort” and “high-impact” are the holy grail – a potent pairing that shows you’ve managed to select your style staples well and developed a thorough understanding of how your wardrobe operates as a cohesive whole.

Scroll through any fashion week street-style gallery, and it will quickly become clear who understands the art of low-effort, high-impact dressing. It’s the people who look comfortable in their clothing and whose pairings appear organic rather than an overthought.

Autumn tends to be a time when many return to foundational pieces, whether that be a pair of flat knee-high boots, cashmere crewneck or a leather bomber. The key to stopping these basics from looking boring is to be exacting about which items make it into your rotation of autumn outfits in the first place – this is an instance when it pays off to be incredibly fussy about fit and fabrication.

There are certain styling tricks that can instantly create a cohesive and polished overall look. Tonal dressing, whether wearing biscuit tones, navy or cream head-to-toe, makes any outfit look more considered, while doubling up on complimentary (but not matching) check prints is a popular play with stylists. As always it’s not just about what you wear, but how you wear it too, whether that’s a layer looped around the shoulders or a jumper tucked into the waistband of your jeans to create more shape. Take the below look where ’s Lisa Aiken adds a softness to her pencil skirt by skipping a few extra buttons on her Oxford shirt to create a looser silhouette.

From relaxed tailoring to easy denim pairings, scroll down to see and shop our edit of low-effort, high-impact autumn outfits.

Cream separates + black accessories

X Romee Strijd The Stockholm bag

Two knits + pleated miniskirt

Leather jacket + layered knits

Trench coat + tailored trousers

Suede Bow Block Heel Court Shoes

Barbour jacket + pleated skirt

X A.P.C. Spey Waxed Jacket

Double checks + suede accessories