No. 52 · Thursday 12 November 2026 · Bradford
This fortnight’s issue
The trick is the order, and the thinner coat goes on first. I tried six pairs on one wet Saturday on the terrace behind my street, with a friend holding the umbrella and the camera.
This fortnight I go through the three pairs that worked, how to choose the length of the second coat, and why a belt belongs under the top layer or not at all.
Plus: a scarf pinned to stay put, and your questions on layering.
Outfits
What I wore for a week of park walks and early starts.
Sewing
Cutting, pinning and sewing one piece at my bedroom table.
Details
Small details that make a scarf stay where I put it.
Brand work
What happens when the softbox goes up in a stone hall.
Talks
What I said, what I was asked and what I'd say now.
Every issue since No. 1, newest first
Pearl pin, hidden pin and the knot I always come back to.
Crepe, chiffon and a jacket you can take off.
Why I own four and how I style each.
A slip stitch, a bit of patience and a podcast.
A long cardigan, a light coat and a scarf that dries fast.
What each one does on the body and on the machine.
A walk and a photograph, before the shops open.
Unpick, pin, restitch and leave no puckers.
Five outfits built around one scarf colour.
Cloth chosen in March, sewn by April.
Small cuts, fewer regrets and a tidier shelf.
You sent in thirty; I answered the six that came up most.
Mehreen Aslam
I style layers: a long coat over a tunic, a sage scarf pinned with a pearl pin, everything chosen to move well and keep warm in Bradford weather. A lot of it I sew myself at a table in my back bedroom.
Each week there's an outfit post, and every fortnight a longer feature on a fabric, a cut or a person worth knowing. The styling guide I wrote is in the shop below.
The letter stays free. These keep it going.
Next issue: Thursday 26 November
One outfit, one longer feature and a fabric worth knowing. Free, and it always will be.