Well, this weather is a little confusing! It was snowing this morning when I walked my girls to school and now the sun is streaming through the window. The answer to dressing for the British spring; layers. Stylish and practical. Win, win.

Mum is wearing a pair of high-waisted, pleated-front, cotton trousers with a fine merino wool polo neck. These polo necks from Uniqlo are spot on. Inexpensive but good quality and thin enough to wear as a base layer under most clothing. They are perfect for giving life to items that are usually reserved for warm weather. Think oversized cotton shirt or a summer dress. Generally, I would say that the dress should have long or at least 3/4 length sleeves in order to work with a polo neck (such as this one).

We are seeing lots of full length trousers again, which makes mum & me happy. This pair are particularly good, with a wide leg but cut to sit just above the ground. If you are wearing a simple outfit like this then a scarf is a very elegant way of adding interest. We have kept this outfit monochromatic but you could, of course, inject some colour. Should you plump for a colourful scarf like this one, then I would bring that same colour into your outfit somewhere else, maybe paired with a cardigan like this one. I’m also smitten with the combination of this scarf and this cardigan. Lovely.

A consistent palette means you can have some fun with contrasting textures. Here mum is wearing my favourite black and white tweed coat from Toast. The heavy wool, layered with the merino wool, cotton and silk looks fantastic. The trick is to keep the same tones.

A loose fitting shirt worn open, but tucked in to high waisted trousers, with a t-shirt or a polo neck is a ‘look’ at the moment. I always think of Diane Keaton when I think about this style. Although a lot of her outfits are on the more adventurous side (particularly in recent years) I love her overall aesthetic.

I’m a bit shorter than mum (5.8” vs 5.6”) so I am wearing a heeled boot with the same trousers. Should you decide to invest in a pair which you find to be too long, either turn up the hem into a cuff at the bottom - that works - or take them up with a simple alteration. I would turn up the hem if I was to wear them with flat shoes. Alternatively I would wear the trousers long and bunched at the bottom (which I love the look of) but can be annoyingly impractical as they need washing frequently (and with two young children extra washing is not welcome!).