Tracksuit: how to wear your loungewear outside too

November is tracksuit month. The heating goes on, you work from home for a day, you nip to the bakery, and you don't want to change twice. A two-piece set, a soft tracksuit for women or men and a hoodie to go with it: that's the whole story.

The only thing holding a tracksuit back is the impression that you've just got out of bed. There's one simple rule for that, and it works exactly the same for women and men.

The rule: one colour family from top to bottom

A tracksuit looks put-together outside as soon as the top and bottom are in the same colour family and only your shoes provide the contrast.

A grey jumper over black joggers reads as two separate items that happened to get dressed together. Grey on grey, black on black or beige on beige reads as an outfit. Your eye follows one continuous line, which makes you look taller and makes the set look deliberate.

That doesn't mean everything has to be boring. You can vary in texture: a waffle fabric on top, a smooth sweat fabric below. And your shoes can stand out, because that's exactly where you want the eye drawn.

Women's tracksuit: the two-piece set that does the thinking for you

A women's tracksuit is a two-piece set in the same fabric: a hoodie, sweatshirt or knitted jumper with matching joggers. You don't need to put anything together because the combination is already made, and that's exactly why you reach for it three times a week.

Three ways that work: with white trainers for errands, the school gate and a day working from home; with chunky ankle boots once the streets turn wet; with a long coat on top when you're heading into town and need to dress it up a little.

About the fit: feel free to buy the top loose, but keep the trousers true to your size. A set that's oversized all over loses its shape and starts looking shapeless after a few washes. Browse the two-piece sets in Sets.

Women's joggers: wide leg, tapered or denim

Not everyone wants a complete set. A pair of loose joggers for women is often the piece you wear most, and there are three types you really need to tell apart.

The wide leg falls straight down and looks the least like sportswear, so choose this one for outside the house too. The tapered leg with a cuff at the ankle narrows towards the bottom and is the nicest under boots. The denim joggers have the drawstring of joggers and the look of jeans, handy if you want something no one can tell is actually loungewear.

Pay attention to the waist: a wide elastic band with a drawstring stays in place and doesn't dig in. A narrow elastic rolls over as soon as you sit down. You'll find all the styles in trousers.

Men's joggers: slim, straight or with cargo pockets

Men's joggers are the easiest piece on this whole list. You wear them at home, to the gym and on Saturdays, and with the right leg shape they don't look out of place outside either.

The slim joggers with a drawstring are the smart option: they taper towards the ankle and sit neatly on a trainer. The cargo joggers have pockets on the leg and add a bit more structure to a simple hoodie. The lined joggers are the choice for cold mornings because the fleece lining keeps you warm without making the trousers look bulky.

Black, grey and olive stay the calmest, as they go with almost any top you already own. Take a further look at the men's trousers.

Men's tracksuit: hoodie set or zip-up tracksuit

A men's tracksuit comes in two forms, and they each do something different. The hoodie set is one block colour and feels like a warm blanket. The zip-up tracksuit with a stand-up collar can be opened, making it more like a jacket over your T-shirt.

The hoodie with joggers you wear at home and for quick errands, ideally in grey or black. The zip-up tracksuit you wear open over a plain T-shirt when meeting up, so you show the layer underneath and it becomes an outfit. The knitted or waffle version is the smarter option and works well with leather lace-up shoes.

Sleeves and legs should end where they belong: cuff at the wrist, cuff at the ankle. Sleeves that are too long make any set look sloppy. The complete sets are in Sets.

The knitted loungewear set: soft for home, just smart enough for outside

A knitted loungewear set is the best invention for November. It's a tracksuit in knitwear instead of sweat fabric, which makes it look more like a jumper with matching trousers than sportswear.

With a wide leg and an oversized jumper, it's the most comfortable thing you can wear without it looking like pyjamas. With a knitted cardigan or a zip, you can open the layer once you're inside. With loafers or ankle boots instead of trainers, the set lifts itself up to dinner-out level.

Beige, cream and grey look best here because the knit structure catches the light, giving the colour natural depth. These sets are also in Sets.

Layers: what do you wear over a tracksuit?

The layer on top decides whether your loungewear stays indoors or goes out with you. A short, sporty jacket over a tracksuit doubles the sporty feel. A long coat does the opposite: it gives shape and turns your set into the base layer of a complete outfit.

In practice that means: a long coat or parka over a two-piece set, and if you do wear something short, choose the same colour or a darker one than your set. Leave the coat unzipped so the continuous colour underneath stays visible.

A scarf in a calm shade finishes it off and keeps your neck warm if you don't want to wear a hood. Find the coats in women's jackets and men's jackets.

Colour and texture: why grey, black and waffle always work

Sweat fabric is flat. That's comfortable, but it also means a plain set can look flat quickly. Texture solves that: a waffle pattern, a ribbed cuff or a knitted jumper over smooth trousers gives your outfit relief without adding a single extra colour.

When it comes to colour, you don't need to look far. Grey, black, beige and navy are the four that get along with each other and that you can wear with every coat and every shoe in your wardrobe. If you want colour, keep it to one of the two pieces and leave the rest calm.

A contrast piping or a narrow stripe down the leg makes a set sportier. That's great for a day at home or a walk, but choose plain if you also want to wear the set to an appointment. The shoes that go with it are in shoes.

Fit, washing and the most common mistakes

Mistake one: buying everything too loose. An oversized top is fine, but trousers that are also two sizes too big sag on your hips and flatten your figure. Loose on top, true to size below.

Mistake two: combining two different shades of grey. Light grey on top and mid-grey below reads as a mistake. Better to pick the same colour, or go deliberately dark below and light above.

Mistake three: washing too hot. Sweat fabric and fleece shrink and start pilling at high temperatures. Wash at thirty degrees, inside out, and let the set dry flat instead of in the tumble dryer.

Mistake four: leaving the drawstring in during the wash. Untie the cord and knot the ends together, otherwise it disappears into the tunnel and you'll never get it out neatly again.

Mistake five: trainers with everything. The same set becomes a different outfit on ankle boots or loafers. Switch your shoes and you can wear the same tracksuit twice a week without anyone noticing.

Starting from scratch? Buy in this order: first a two-piece tracksuit in grey or black, as that's the piece you'll wear daily; then a pair of loose joggers with a wide or tapered leg for variety; then a knitted loungewear set for evenings and days when you want something smarter; and finally a zip-up tracksuit you can wear open over a T-shirt. It's all together in Sets.