WHAT WE LEARNED AT LONDON FASHION WEEK

From bum bags big enough to double as weekend holdalls to millinery decorated with sink plungers and kitchen whisks (thank you, Matty Bovan), of the four cities on the fashion month calendar, it's London that really pushes the envelope and inspires fresh ways to liven up our wardrobes. It's an energy that feeds through from the runways of the capital's fledgling designers (Clio Peppiatt, Halpern, Rejina Pyo) to the street-style set as they serve up their most adventurous getups. So, after five days of shows and an endless stream of inspo, here are all the things we learned at London Fashion Week. 

Fact: tartan was everywhere amongst showgoers this season. Whether via suiting, maxi dresses and kilt skirts, the Braveheart effect was real. But it was the street-stylers who took things one step further with clashing tartan that really won us over. Follow their lead with mismatched blazers and skirts, and swap in a pair of tartan trousers and combat boots when winter hits. Oh, and you know what else is good? Tartan + leopard print. Give it a try, we dare you. 

We're totally on board with the return of all things fluoro, and it looks like we're not the only ones. If head-to-toe dayglow isn't your thing, then let these stylish ladies give you a lesson in how to dip your toe into the neon world. Try coordinating a fluoro-green turtleneck with a matching checked mini, which you can dress down with a corduroy jacket and Dr. Martens, or swap out with a tweed jacket and patent loafers for extra polish. While we're not usually ones for matching accessories, when they're in a punchy neon hue, it's a different thing entirely. So, go for neon mules with a matching beaded drawstring bag. 

Riccardo Tisci's first runway collection for Burberry was one of the most buzzed-about shows of the season. Would he weave in any of his signature hallmarks from his Givenchy days or start completely afresh? Well, it turned out it was Bambi (star of Givenchy's iconic sweatshirts circa 2013) who made an appearance and with it a fresh addition to the reigning animal-print trend. It's not just fawn prints joining the fashion animal kingdom, cow prints are also now on the agenda, too. 

The arrival of billowy nightie-style dresses was one of our favourite summer trends, so we're ever so happy to see some solid cases for carrying the look through to autumn. How to make it work as the temperatures drop? Go for floaty long-sleeved styles with floor-grazing hemlines and swap out your summer sandals for knee-high boots, then throw on a long trench and, voila, you're ready to roll. 

And by that we mean both figuratively and literally. If you thought the bum-bag trend was going to burst in the bubble of the third summer of love, then think again. It turns out it's got legs well beyond festivals and summer holidays. At Matty Bovan that came via supersized versions complete with waist belts to support all that extra baggage. And amongst the street-stylers, it got a chic update in the form of belt bags worn with suiting and high-waisted maxi skirts. 

Running a close second to tartan as the season's most ubiquitous street-style trend at fashion month so far, the boiler suit has cropped up in a rainbow of hues in New York and London. And if the trend still frightens you a little bit, we've spotted a surefire way to make sure you're not going to be mistaken for the person booked to fix your neighbour's boiler. The secret is in the checks. Either in the form of a belted button-up version, or with the addition of a checked coat over a white zip-up style.

Bookmark this in your festive season style file: the mini party dress is back. And this time it’s not just for after-dark shenanigans. Play up the 80s vibes with puff sleeves and a retro woodgrain print, then slide on some kitten-heel mules, or make like Lily Allen circa 2007 with a pair of trainers, this time, the chunkier the better. On the runway, Christopher Kane's take came in the form of lacy cutouts. Just add an oversized faux-fur coat and sheer tights and you'll be party-season ready.