“Bourgeois chic” is a major trend in autumn fashion. I’m not convinced we need to read all that much into this on a socioeconomic level, to be honest. Fashion’s grasp of how money operates in the real world is often pretty sketchy, after all. This is a world where a sales assistant tells madam solemnly that the keyring is £500, and madam is expected to keep a straight face.

The significance of bourgeois chic is simply in terms of your wardrobe. This is a change of direction for daywear, so it means new options when it comes to outfits to wear to work. Which is important, because a back-to-school wardrobe refresh can really help this time of year feel like a new start rather than just the end of summer.

Even better, from both an economic and environmental point of view, is that much of this new look is, most likely, in your wardrobe already. It starts with a skirt that is a bit shorter and sharper than the midi- to maxi-length ones we’ve been wearing recently. Have a rummage behind the midi skirts that have dominated the last few years, and you may well find exactly what you are looking for. I bought this skirt in J Crew about a decade ago, because I liked how the bubble-gummy colour made the wide pleats feel a bit less staid; I still do. When I wore it the last time around it was often with a crew-neck sweater, shirt collar and cuffs pulled out: that Prada-esque haute librarian vibe, for those of you with long fashion memories. This time around, I’m leaning towards a silk blouse, which is the ultimate bourgeois chic garment – and, frankly, just one of the all-time most useful wardrobe standbys.

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The difference between bourgeois and ladylike, in the fashion lexicon, is that bourgeois is a bit more fun, a little more tongue-in-cheek. So you might go for a blouse with a dalmatian or a leopard spot, for instance. You could swap out the blazer I’m wearing here for a cardigan, but since we’re doing nu-bourgeois rather than haute-librarian you’re going to want a structured, slightly fancy cardigan – I’m thinking a gold button, or a piped trim, or a sequin à la new season Celine, rather than the pen-chewing slouchy kind.

The palette is different, too. No more winter florals on a dark background, no more muted painterly tones. Instead you want urbane, sophisticated colours: cappuccinos and milky vanillas, and the pastel shades of window box flowers. Don’t overaccessorise it. Oh, and don’t overthink it, either.