The three-step style solution to staying ahead this season

For all their peacocking and Instagramming of furry shoes, those who inhabit the world of fashion are a surprisingly banal bunch.

A breed who find solace in their own version of the mainstream, the "in" thing to do among the style set is to find a look that suits and then cling to it, unflinchingly, until the next one comes along.

When you consider what they’re up against - witness the lean and preened street style brigade who walk the cobbles of Paris Fashion Week clad in an ever-changing wardrobe of outfits which are begged and borrowed from any fashion designer who’ll listen - such habitual behaviour is far from surprising.

Finding an outfit habit that ticks all the practical boxes, while simultaneously ensuring that we can get from bed to front door with less than four outfit changes, is the holy grail of dressing - whether you’re headed for the front row at a fashion show or to your Saturday job at Claire’s Accessories.

As is the case for bankers, civil servants and the miracle workers who mix the paint at B&Q, fashion purists have a uniform - the only difference is that theirs changes with the seasons. While previous fashion uniforms have included the skinny jean and navy blazer combo championed by French Vogue’s Emanuelle Alt and the Brits’ favourite Stan Smith trainer plus black track pant and roll-neck jumper in the shade of our your choice, the current look for the season is broader in appeal.

Christened by commentators (this fashion desk) as "the crop ’n’ cuff", the current uniform consists of three simple components, among them a pair of raw-edged jeans, an oversized shirt with extra-large cuffs and a neat pair of low-heeled ankle boots or courts.