I Tried Mango's Autumn Collection—These Are the 3 Timeless Looks I'll Be Keeping

Welcome to The Great Try-On. With autumn well and truly in the air, we seized the opportunity to try on some of the best new-in pieces from some of your favourite brands, documenting the process along the way. We believe the best way to shop online is to see an item IRL and read candid reviews, so we hope that this leads you to your most successful purchases of the year.

Every year around this time, I start itching to invest in my autumn capsule wardrobe. I manage to resist when everyone is looking to purchase jackets in August, sniggering as I sip my Aperol Spritz in my teeny-tiny sports shorts and sandals. I then avoid temptation again with coats in September, telling myself the very notion of the cold is nothing but a figment of the distant future. And then, out of nowhere, October's lower temperatures come and I feel under-prepared, and frankly, f***ing freezing. Thankfully however, no matter how underprepared I am for the cold, a new season, a last minute holiday or a party I forgot I agreed I'd go to, Mango is always there to zhuzh up my wardrobe.

In case you hadn't already noticed, Mango's offering in the last 6 to 12 months has gone up a serious notch. Ever since I discovered its premium collection, The Selection, I swear I've never really looked back. And whilst of course I'm privy to many brands on the high street, no brand manages to conquer expensive-looking style quite like Mango has for autumn/winter 24. Does it have premium materials like leather and cashmere? Erm, yes it does! What about timeless staples like denim and vest tops? You bet. As well as the more trend-led items? Oh, in abundance. The difference is that Mango's pieces, when styled correctly, don't actually look as affordable as they truly are.

Take for example this cream fringe coat, a particularly show-stopping piece in the order that I made and tried on at home this week. I wore it to work the following day and I cannot tell you how many compliments I received. Actually I can, it was 6. From complete strangers, no less! Whenever I told them that it was from Mango, not a more luxury brand like Toteme, the only reaction I receive was pure surprise. And whilst £230 is no small change, it's items like this, that are timeless in their colour and silhouette, but with added details like its detachable scarf and fringe hem, that make it feel special, and frankly, more expensive.

But this coat isn't the only item I loved. Fortunately for my wardrobe (and perhaps unfortunately for my bank balance), there were multiple items I decided to keep. Here are the 3 very chic, very stylish looks I loved most.

Shop the Best Pieces From My Mango Autumn 2024 Try-On

Style notes: Obviously this fringe coat is the pièce de résistance here. Part of Mango's Western edit, where cow print leather, fringe jackets and denim feature, unsurprisingly, quite heavily. Once you have got the hang of how to style the scarf (I think it's easiest to detach it from the coat and just throw it over one shoulder, personally), this coat looks phenomenal. It's a very bright cream, so really should probably be kept for more occasional than everyday wear, unless you're very good at keeping things clean, or have an excellent dry cleaner on speed dial. It's also not lined, so there's room for cosy knits to be styled below without making you feel too hot.

Also worth mentioning is this drop-waist dress below. ICYMI: be it with denim, dresses or cargo pants, waistlines are getting increasingly lower, and although I didn't love these the first time round in the early 2000s, now I'm quite open to them. This dress in particularly tackles it quite well. With the cotton bottom and stretchy knit on the top half, it's super comfortable. What's more, it's easily styled multiple ways. Whilst I have it with boots and have added a belt here for a smart-casual vibe, I think it would work really well with mules, slicked back hair and heavier makeup for a more evening look. Very good, Mango—I'm impressed.

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Style Notes: Let's start with these shoes. As a fashion editor, I try on lots (and lots) of new pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories for work, and these mules are probably my favourite item I've tried on this year. Cow print is a huge hit trend this season, seen across bags, jackets and belts, but this iteration is transcendent to any other example I've seen so far. Whilst I try to avoid trends that can feel fleeting, there's something about this style and silhouette—the square toe and the glossy black heel—that makes them look so expensive. They're also just fun, and it's not easy for pieces to feel joyous without also being a bit novelty.

Another stand-out item from this outfit is the knit draped on my shoulder. Although cashmere can last up to a decade, I invest in a new piece every year or two. I think it's an invaluable purchase, nothing else feels quite like it. And, despite being someone more attracted to neutrals, I knew this autumn I'd be buying into the red trend. I can't get enough of it. Be it red shoes, my nails or in this case, a sweater, this cherry shade makes me feel so energised. I particularly love it with denim, and these mid-wash blue jeans, with the eyelets and straight cut are the perfect pair.

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Style Notes: A decent leather jacket is an essential for any capsule wardrobe. So is a trench coat. A leather trench coat, however, feels somewhat more special than an 'essential,' and rather an investment piece. Admittedly, being £400, this particular one does have that investment piece price tag, which feels expensive for a high street brand. But I was interested to see how it compared to leather pieces I'd tried in the past from designer luxury brands, as well as other more wallet-friendly options. I have to say, the website's imagery almost doesn't do this coat justice. The leather is deliciously soft, the cut hugs at the waist just enough, and it finishes at the exact right point on your calf. What's more, it seems to go with anything and everything, elevating a fairly casual look into something quite evening-appropriate. It fulfils a tricky but significant equation for me, which is to balance both classic and cool. Not many items of clothing achieve this, but it does guarantee a multitude of wears. So, though £400 may sound a little expensive, it's a good match for many coats just like it that fetch 5 times that!

When it came to styling this coat, I wanted to put my own claim of suggesting it could lift a casual look into an evening one to the test, so I decided to style this with items that would typically be considered for daytime wear.

As the Y2K trend appears to be going nowhere any time soon, I've really tried to embrace it ways that don't make me feel like I'm in costume as my 12-year old self. Whilst I may not be wearing a tiered rah-rah skirt or putting butterfly clips in my hair any time soon, I have started to wear low-rise trousers and will often carry a petite shoulder bag that feels very 2002. These cargo pants, with their eyelet stud details, allude the exact right amount to the styles I loved twenty years ago, without making me feel silly. Even though I'm wearing a white tank top and these trousers, with a pointed kitten heel (again, very 2002) and this really fabulous trench coat, I can safely say this is a look I'd love to wear on a Friday night out. I would say that's mission accomplished, no?!

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