Milan's showgoers dress for a long day of walking between venues, which is why their outfits tend to look polished and practical at once. The accessories do a lot of that work, from tortoiseshell sunglasses and a structured black bag to tan loafers and good gloves. Oliver Peoples' Sonia sunglasses, Saint Laurent's Sac de Jour Nano, Church's Onyx loafers and Agnelle's leopard-trimmed leather gloves cover all four.

Silk pajamas outside the house have become a Milan street style habit, usually worn with something sturdier to make the point. Toteme's orange embroidered silk-twill shirt has piping that reads as sleepwear, and Alémais's navy printed Bandera silk-satin trousers keep the proportions loose. Dries Van Noten's brown velvet ballet flats with leather trim and Balmain's brown fringed suede Ebene bag bring it back to daytime.

The Milan suit this season was cut softer and worn with something cosy. Blazé Milano's grey herringbone double-breasted blazer pairs with TWP's charcoal pleated Ivy trousers, and Khaite's beige cropped Masie sweater goes underneath in place of a shirt. Manolo Blahnik's black suede Pura mules add some height without the formality of a pump.

Checks on checks is a Milan staple, and it works best when the scale changes from piece to piece. Chloé's brown double-breasted checked wool blazer and Max Mara's grey checked Netto wide-leg trousers are the clash, while The Row's charcoal Poynta cashmere cardigan softens it underneath. Paris Texas's snake-effect Vera knee boots add a third texture for anyone feeling brave.

Wearing two scarves at once sounds like a mistake until you see it done well. Nili Lotan's zebra-print silk scarf and Loewe's striped silk scarf layer at the neck of Junya Watanabe's black croc-effect double-breasted coat, while Destree's black crepe Tina Gallie trousers keep everything below the waist plain. The trick is one busy print and one simpler one.

Of all the fashion week cities, Milan is the most useful to copy, because so much of it is built on tailoring and good accessories rather than one-off runway pieces. If you take one thing away, let it be that every outfit here has one plain element holding the louder ones in place, whether that is a cardigan, a black trouser or a simple flat. We would skip the silk pajama look if your days involve a long walk to work in the rain, since satin shows every splash. The tailoring and the checks, on the other hand, go straight into a work wardrobe. The two-scarf trick is the easiest idea here to try tomorrow with things you already own.