The fashion briefing

Get it before it goes The high-street has gone leather mad this autumn. Just ask ­Hadley. At Wallis there is a red shift dress and a couple of ­A-line skirts. Zara is selling a swingy black skater number (pictured) , while at the end of September, a black leather T-shirt will ­arrive at Dorothy Perkins. Plus, Marks & Spencer’s full circle skirt in black leather, available in ­October, has just been ­ordered by Elle’s editor, ­Lorraine Candy. Tweet Fact. £69.99, zara.com Photograph: Alicia Canter for the Guardian Coming soon New collaboration alert. London-based ­fashion duo Peter Pilotto has joined forces with Kipling (the bags, not the cakes) to create a 16-piece collection, which includes this rucksack, a shoulder bag and wallets. The designers have produced two prints – an ­“intergalactic ­traveller” one, or this rucksack’s graphic ­machine design – and the range launches at a pop-up shop in Selfridges before going ­nationwide later next month. Meanwhile, PP’s autumn collection features its signature printed cocktail dresses, chic tailoring and a flash or two of pinging orange. £65, available from 10 September, selfridges.com Photograph: PR How to wear … small heels Last season’s sensible shoe buzz, started by the kitten heel’s catwalk comeback, continues. For autumn/winter, various designers included smaller heels or what Vogue have dubbed “24/7 heels”. It’s a slow-burning trend. For most women, a squat heel/grey ankle sock/midi-length skirt combination, as seen on Marc Jacobs’s autumn catwalk, spells frump. Instead, Prada’s partnership of kitten sling-backs with thick tights and trousers, cropped above the ankle, is a far more user-friendly starting point. In other small heel news: both black opaques ­(Giambattista Valli) and bare feet (Stella McCartney) have been given the ­all-clear. £24.99, by Giles for New Look, newlook.com Photograph: PR Join the queue A haute-country look is once again brewing in menswear for autumn. From outdoorsy hiking boots, to an elbow patch or six, via some corduroy. Two words of advice: go subtle. Instead of getting stuck into the tweeds, how about a spot of boiled wool? It’s a lovely texture, a big part of the appeal of haute-country, but comes in navy, which is more discreet and modern. This Topman Design jacket is a slim, one-button dream – wear with the matching slacks, or your favourite old jeans, and you’re done. £120, available from 16 September, topman.com Photograph: Alicia Canter for the Guardian