Layered chic: Designers Remix Collection leather jacket, House of Harlow 1960 ring, CC Skye earrings, Streets Ahead belt, 6126 leggings (all Jules & Eve); sweater dress, bangle (True Value Vintage); Trippen boots (Gravity Pope); Hair & Makeup (Lure Salon)

Trevor Brady

Mix it up with different textures for the season’s hottest look, adding knits, metal, and must-have leggings

Ever notice how effortlessly chic Montrealers, New Yorkers, and Europeans look when they layer up in the fall? What’s their secret? According to wardrobe stylist Krista Sung, the key to layering is having the confidence to let your taste be your guiding force.

“The more you get to know yourself, the easier it becomes,” says Sung, who recently sat down with the Straight at a local café. “I personally don’t buy outfits. I tend to buy pieces that I like and that are inspiring to me or look unique or just resonate with me in some way. And I find that when I buy all these different pieces, they just find a way to work together because they’re all things that say ‘me’ to begin with.”

That said, Sung understands it’s easier to hone your personal style when you work in the fashion industry full-time like she does, or live in a style capital like NYC. So she has a few practical how-to-layer tips for this season and beyond.

“If you don’t have the time or the money [to shop], I think it’s important to find pieces that are kind of timeless and that are not dispensable or too trendy.”

With that in mind, she recommends starting with a great leather jacket, in either black or, for the more adventurous, charcoal grey or even eggplant.

“You can find ones that are insulated a bit more to keep you warm,” she says. “I mean, for the winters in Vancouver, you can get by with leather, because it only goes to a minus-10 max for a couple of days, and no one’s usually walking around then anyways.”

If you want a top-of-the-line leather, Jules & Eve (2009 West 41st Avenue) carries a stunning bomber from the Designers Remix Collection ($980). For something a little more recession-friendly, True Value Vintage (710 Robson Street) has a great selection of new pleathers and vintage leather that start at around $60.

To warm this look up, Sung suggests throwing on a hoodie underneath for a more urban-rock look, or a thickly knit 10-buck scarf from True Value Vintage. The latter also offers a great opportunity to brighten up an otherwise muted fall palette.

“If you have something around your neck that pops, then it will create this focal point for you—that could be a scarf or a necklace,” she says. “Because there’s so much going on with the layering, I think it’s easier if your most dramatic piece is around your neck, and then it’s by your face.”

When it comes to contrasting pieces, this season is less about juxtaposing different colours and more about rocking different textures—knit, leather, and faux fur being the three biggies.

“I think it’s more interesting to mix up the weight of clothing,” says Sung. “And the great thing about mixing textures is it’s going to give you a different dimension, but still look cohesive.”

But if you do want to play with colour a bit more, Sung has the following tip: make sure the tones work together.

“So no neon with a pastel, because they’re going to fight,” she says. “But if the intensity and opacity are of a similar range, even colours like red and turquoise can work together.”

All you need now is a few other staples to get your layering look under way, namely a killer pair of boots—the higher up the leg the better. There are some great over-the-knee Steve Madden bad boys for $130 at Gravity Pope Shoes (2205 West 4th Avenue). And then there are the leggings, a must-have once again this season—check out the store that started it all, American Apparel (various locations), for every style, from glam liquid lovelies to the plain old cotton reliables ($32 to $58).

After that, you’re pretty much good to go. Just watch out for layering overkill, which Sung describes as any time your “pieces look like they’re fighting each other or they’re not hanging or sitting right on your body.”

You also want to make sure you don’t overaccessorize. (This season, it’s more about one big statement piece of jewellery, rather than stacks of smaller pieces.) One way to prevent any kind of overkill in that department is to do as the late great Coco Chanel advised: “Before leaving the house, take one thing off.”

“That’s my philosophy,” says Sung. “I don’t always follow it, but I think it’s good advice.”