It’s that time of year again. After a pretty pathetic excuse for a summer, we’re suddenly back to piling on emergency layers under our coats before heading out for the morning commute. But, as I myself have discovered, the items you grab for extra warmth don’t have to be simply functional, non-stylish pieces. You can have fun with your layering here, and high street brands have seemingly worked overtime this season to create some great options when it comes to gilets, vests and liners.

Here are a few of my favourites from AW21.

Barbour x Engineered Garments – Popover Quilted Vest

£129

Thanks to their collaboration with utility-style brand Engineered Garments, this vest has an almost futuristic look to it. Keeping the classic Barbour quilting but combining it with a functional, Japanese-inspired pouch gives this piece a super trendy feel.

ARKET – Quilted Liner Vest

£55

This vest is a part of the ARKET 2-in-1 Series, a system of separate functional layers and liners that can be worn as separates or zipped into each other to create a fully padded coat.

Individually, this liner vest is insulating and is made from a rip-stop shell fabric construction and also features onion quilting and additional padding. It is windproof and features a front zip, external patch pocket and internal patch pocket.

Uniqlo – Ultra Light Down Compact Vest

£39.90

Described as ‘incredibly lightweight, endlessly practical and surprisingly warm’, Uniqlo’s signature Ultra Light Down outerwear has become a real favourite amongst the fashion crowd in recent times. The vest is quite versatile and can easily be packed away into an internal compact pocket.

It has a sleek matte finish, and Uniqlo have opted to forgo piping around the arm holes to keep the design minimal. Its compact appearance makes it easy to layer underneath jackets and coats, and the ever-popular Down filling is combined with a Nylon coating to keep it completely water- repellent.

Adsum – Effo Vest

£165

Adsum’s designs always appear American-inspired, sporty and utilitarian. This vest is no different, offering a classic funnel neck collar and two-tone design. As is Adsum’s classic formula, the piece is super practical and incredibly stylish, with a warming fleece finish.

Written by Tom Loughran