I wasn’t ready for my winter coat yet — but my summer layers weren’t enough anymore

I packed away a few of my lighter summer things last week and immediately ran into the same problem I seem to have every September. It wasn’t cold enough for a proper winter coat, but a thin top on its own was starting to feel optimistic first thing in the morning.

I’m 52, and at this point I know what happens next. I tell myself I’ll manage for another few weeks, then suddenly the colder weather arrives and I’m back in the same dark jumpers and heavy coat I wore all last winter.

This year I wanted something for the bit in between.

That’s how I ended up with the Mabel Floral Teddy Fleece Half-Zip from Merritt London.

The sort of layer I can put on at home and quite happily leave on for the rest of the morning.

I bought it for the warmth, but I think the flowers are why I enjoy wearing it

What first appealed to me was the teddy-fleece texture. I wanted something soft and cosy for colder mornings without jumping straight from summer clothes into a big winter coat.

But I also liked that Mabel didn’t look like another purely practical fleece.

Most of my cold-weather wardrobe seems to become black, navy or grey without me even noticing. The floral pattern gives it a bit more life, so I can wear it with jeans or plain trousers and the outfit doesn’t feel quite so dull.

The half-zip has been useful too. I tend to leave it slightly open when I’m indoors and zip it higher when I step outside. The relaxed shape also leaves enough room underneath for an extra layer when I want one.

“It gives me the cosy feeling I want when the mornings turn colder, without making me feel as though winter dressing has already become dull.”

I ended up ordering another one

That probably says more about how much I like it than anything else.

The first one quickly became the thing I reached for when I was making tea in the morning, working around the house or popping out for something. It was comfortable enough that I stopped thinking of it as something I had bought for a particular outfit.

I simply kept wearing it.

So when I realised Merritt had it in several variations, I ordered another one. I liked the idea of having the same easy fleece I already knew I would wear, but in a different floral finish.

There is currently also an extra discount when buying more than one piece, which made that decision rather easier.

It has become one of those things I put on without really thinking about it.

It makes this awkward time of year much easier

I’m not pretending September is winter. Some afternoons are still mild enough that I don’t need much at all.

But the mornings are changing, and that’s exactly where Mabel has fitted in for me.

I can wear it now over something light, then add another layer underneath once the temperature drops further. And when proper coat weather eventually arrives, I’ll already have something cosy to wear underneath rather than starting from scratch.

That feels much more useful than buying something I can only wear for the coldest few weeks of the year.

The yellow floral version was the one that convinced me I didn’t need another plain winter layer.

I’m glad I found it before the proper cold arrived

Mabel is currently £29.95 instead of £60, and I’m quite pleased I bought mine while the colder weather is still only beginning.

It means I already have the layer I know I’ll keep reaching for over the next few months — and, in my case, more than one of them.