Buying guides
The edits
Curated by our editorial team, the designer pieces worth buying this season, with a clear view on which to buy first.
EditThe Saint Laurent Bags Worth Buying
Saint Laurent bags sit in a recognisable house code: matelassé quilting, the YSL Cassandre monogram, and a lot of slim crescent shapes that read quietly from across a room. We have 256 of them in the catalogue, and the prices run from around £365 for a small flat wallet up to roughly £3,515 for the large Jamie 4.3. That is a wide spread, so the question is less "which is nicest" and more which line earns the spend. The honest answer for a first buy is the Le 5 à 7. It is the half-moon hobo that defines the current Saint Laurent silhouette, it sits flat under the arm, and the small version carries a phone, cardholder and keys without bulking out. After that the Cassandre matelassé chain wallet is the most-used entry piece, and the structured Sac de Jour and Solferino are the bags you keep for years. Below we have split the range by shape so you can see where your money goes.
EditThe Bottega Veneta Bags Worth Buying
Bottega Veneta bags are the quiet-luxury answer to a logo, because the intrecciato weave does the talking and nothing else. In our catalogue the range runs from around £1,350 for a Mini Sunrise up to £6,090 for a Large Andiamo, so this is a house you can enter at small-bag money or commit to at investment level. The four lines worth knowing are Jodie, Andiamo, Cassette and the small structured pieces like the Sardine and Wallace. Buy the Jodie first if you want the signature knotted hobo, the one everyone recognises without a single logo. Buy the Andiamo if you want a structured day bag with a top handle that holds its shape. The Cassette is the easy crossbody, and the clutches are where the craft gets pure. Below we have split the bags by style so you can see which does what, where the prices land, and which we would reach for first.
EditThe Balenciaga Bags Worth Buying: A Buyer's Edit
Balenciaga bags split cleanly into a few houses within the house, and knowing which is which saves you a lot of guesswork. The Le City (the old City, reborn) is the slouchy moto bag with the studs and buckles. Le Cagole is the new cult favourite, soft and crescent-shaped. Rodeo is the structured top-handle that has quietly become the brand's investment piece. Then there are the Crush, Monaco and Hourglass lines for anyone who wants chain straps or hard architecture. Our catalogue runs from around £435 for a Le Cagole wallet up to £4,250 for the Rodeo Large, so there is a Balenciaga bag here for a first-time buyer and one for the person already three deep. Below we sort the 184-strong range into the families that actually matter, with a buyer's view on which to reach for first.
EditThe Gucci Bags Worth Buying
Gucci bags split into a handful of families that have outlasted every creative director, and knowing which is which makes the catalogue far easier to read. The GG Marmont with its chevron quilting and antiqued double-G is the line most people start with. Then there are the heritage-hardware bags, Horsebit 1955, Bamboo and Dionysus, where the metal detail is the whole point. Ophidia and Diana cover the everyday tote and top-handle slots, while Blondie and Aphrodite are the newer, more decorative options. Across the 191 bags we carry, prices run from around £795 for a canvas Ophidia shoulder bag up to £3,350 for a large leather Dionysus, so there is a real entry point and a real investment piece in every family. Below is how to choose between them, and which to buy first.
EditThe Prada Bags Worth Buying: A Buyer's Edit
The Prada bags worth buying split cleanly into two camps: the Re-Nylon and Re-Edition revivals that put the 1990s back on the shoulder, and the structured Saffiano and brushed-leather styles that hold their shape for decades. Our catalogue runs 101 Prada pieces, from a £340 Re-Nylon zip pouch to a £4,400 Large Suede Buckle Bag. That is a wide gap, so this edit sorts the lot by what you actually want from a bag. If you are buying your first Prada and want it to read as Prada across a room, start with a Re-Edition 2005 in nylon. If you want the bag that survives a daily commute and still looks sharp in five years, go Saffiano. The triangle logo plate does a lot of quiet work here, and the best buys are the ones where the leather or nylon earns its keep beyond that plate.
EditThe Chloé Bags Worth Buying
Chloé bags split cleanly into a few houses you can actually recognise on the street: the buckled Paddington, the saddle-stitched Marcie, the raffia Woody, and the newer Spin and Bracelet Hobo. Across our catalogue of 108 styles, the prices run from around £448 for a Mini Woody up to £2,622 for a Floral Appliqué Chain Bag, so this is a brand you can enter at tote money and grow into investment leather. The Marcie is the one we'd buy first if you want a quiet daily workhorse that holds its shape. The Paddington is the statement, the bag with the padlock that put Chloé on the map. Below we've grouped the styles by what they actually do, with honest notes on which to skip and which earns the spend.
EditThe Row Bags Worth Buying: A Buyer's Edit
The Row bags run from around £1,060 for the 90's Handbag up to £5,220 for the Agnes 16 Tote, and the house signature stays constant across that span: soft, unstructured leather, no visible logo, hardware kept to almost nothing. This is quiet luxury in its purest form. If you want a bag that announces a label, look elsewhere. If you want one that slumps and softens and reads expensive only to people who know, The Row is the brand. The Park Tote is the line to buy first. It is the daily workhorse, it comes in five sizes, and it sits at the accessible end of the range. From there the choices get more personal: a structured Terrasse or Marlo for shape, a Bindle or Bourse for the shoulder, a Peggy or Mira for evening. Below we have split the catalogue into the families that actually matter so you can find your one.
EditThe Hackett Shirts Worth Buying
Hackett shirts sit in a tight band, roughly £90 to £230, which makes them one of the easier British wardrobes to build well. The range splits cleanly by fabric and fit. You get Oxford and poplin in Classic and Tailored cuts for everyday, garment-dyed denim for weekends, linen and cotton-linen for summer, and a small run of formal poplin for the office. Sizing runs honest. Classic Fit gives room through the chest, Tailored Fit cuts closer without pulling, and the one Slim Fit poplin here is the trimmest of the lot. If you are starting from nothing, buy a white or blue Oxford first, then a linen for warm months, then a denim for the weekend. The print shirts are the statement pieces, so they come last. This guide runs through what is actually worth buying across each fabric family, with real prices to anchor the decision.
EditThe Hackett Trousers Worth Buying
Hackett trousers run from £140 chinos to £250 wool tailoring, and the fifty-odd styles in our catalogue split into a handful of distinct lines worth knowing by name. The Kensington fits the slim, modern leg. The Sanderson is the classic-cut chino in everything from cotton-silk to cavalry twill. The Regent and Fulham cover the relaxed, pleated and drawstring end. And the denim sits quietly underneath all of it, from rinse wash to selvedge. Buy the Kensington Stretch Cotton Chino first if you want one pair that does most of the week. Save the Sanderson Tropical Wool Trousers for the days that need a jacket. This is what each line actually does, and where your £140 goes furthest.
EditThe Hackett Polo Shirts Worth Buying
Hackett polo shirts run from around £80 for a logo pique up to £230 for a linen long-sleeve, so the catalogue covers everything from a daily wardrobe staple to a proper summer investment. Most sit in the Classic Fit, which is the cut to buy first if you want a relaxed British shape through the chest and shoulder. The Pima cotton styles at £100 are the sensible starting point, soft enough to wear all day and structured enough to hold a collar. Above that you get pure linen and cotton-silk blends, plus a strong run of rugby shirts for cooler weather. This edit picks one representative of each distinct style so you can see the real range without wading through near-identical colourways. Buy the Pima first, add a rugby for autumn, and treat the linen as your warm-weather upgrade.
EditWedding Guest Dresses Edit
Dressing for someone else's big day is its own quiet art. You want to look polished, feel comfortable through a long day of standing and sitting, and never risk upstaging the bride. Our editors have gathered the designer dresses that get it right, from fluid midis to floral maxis and elegant shorter styles across Maje, Sandro, Miu Miu and more. Every dress here is chosen to photograph beautifully, move easily and earn its place beyond a single wedding.
EditDesigner Gifts Under £200
A designer gift does not have to cost a fortune to feel special. Under £200 you can give a name people recognise and a piece they will actually use, from a Burberry check scarf to a Michael Kors charm or a leather belt. Our editors have gathered the designer gifts worth giving, grouped by type, all chosen because they arrive beautifully and last well beyond the moment they are unwrapped.
EditBurberry Women's Coats Edit
No house owns the coat quite like Burberry. From the trench that built the brand to the quilted and wool styles that carry a British winter, this is outerwear designed to last decades rather than seasons. Our editors have gathered the Burberry women's coats worth investing in, grouped by the job each one does, so you can find the piece that earns its place in your wardrobe for years.
EditBurberry Scarves Edit
A Burberry scarf is the most accessible piece of the house and arguably the most enduring. The check is one of the most recognisable patterns in fashion, woven into cashmere, wool and silk that lasts a lifetime if you look after it. Our editors have gathered the Burberry scarves worth owning, from the signature check to plain cashmere and printed silk, so you can find the one that finishes your coat for years to come.
EditBurberry Women's Handbags Edit
A Burberry handbag carries the same heritage as the trench, in leather and the signature check that reads instantly. From structured totes to crossbody and shoulder shapes, these are bags built to be carried for years rather than a single season. Our editors have gathered the Burberry women's handbags worth owning, grouped by shape, so you can find the one that finishes your outfit and lasts.
EditMiu Miu Coats Edit
Miu Miu has become the most talked about house in fashion, and its coats are where the label's playful, directional spirit meets real wardrobe value. From cropped wool styles to tailored and statement outerwear, a Miu Miu coat is the piece that makes an outfit feel current. Our editors have gathered the Miu Miu coats worth owning, the ones that bring the brand's distinctive eye without losing the warmth and wearability a coat needs.
EditMichael Kors Dresses Edit
Michael Kors does the polished everyday dress better than almost anyone at this price. From sleek jersey midis that take you from desk to dinner to printed maxis and party ready mini styles, the collection is built around dresses you actually wear rather than save for one occasion. Our editors have pulled the Michael Kors dresses worth owning, grouped by length, with an eye on the fabric and the cut that make them last.
EditMichael Kors Women's Shoes Edit
Michael Kors makes one of the deepest women's shoe collections in contemporary fashion, and at this price it is where the brand quietly excels. From everyday leather trainers to occasion sandals and the kind of sleek pump that finishes a work outfit, there is a Michael Kors shoe for almost every day of your week. Our editors have pulled the styles worth owning across five families, so you can build a rotation rather than chase a single pair.
EditBlue Designer Knitwear Edit
The best blue designer knitwear worth buying covers more ground than most people expect, from icy powder shades to deep navy and electric cobalt. We pulled together 36 pieces across the houses we trust for knit: Burberry, Mulberry, Maje, Sandro, Acne Studios and more. Blue is the colour that slots between a neutral and a statement, so it wears like a wardrobe staple but reads more considered than grey. Here is what we would actually reach for, and how to pick the right one.
EditThe Best Designer Wool Coats
Designer wool coats are the one winter buy that earns its keep across years, so this edit gathers the styles we'd reach for first. Think Burberry's heritage tailoring, Mulberry's quiet British cut, the sharper lines of Alexander McQueen and Sandro, plus everyday warmth from Maje and Acne Studios. We've split it into women's, men's, and a wider round of pieces worth a closer look. The point is to help you find a coat that suits your shape, your commute, and your real winter.
EditThe Best Designer Silk Pieces
Designer silk scarves, dresses and tops are the easiest way to bring real fabric quality into a wardrobe without committing to a whole new look. Silk reads as expensive because it usually is. It moves, catches light and ages well when you treat it gently. We have pulled together pieces from British and European houses you already know, so you can see what a printed square, a bias dress or a fluid blouse actually looks like in proper silk, and decide what is worth your money first.
EditBeige and Neutral Designer Bags
Beige and neutral designer bags are the ones you reach for without thinking, the soft-grain calf and canvas pieces that sit against everything in your wardrobe. We have pulled together totes, crossbodies and a wider edit of shapes from houses like Burberry, Mulberry, Michael Kors and Sandro. The point is discovery: finding the camel, taupe, sand and cream styles worth keeping for years, not chasing a trend colour you tire of by spring.
EditThe Best Designer Wallets
Designer wallets and cardholders worth buying tend to outlast the bag they live in, which is why we treat them as the first small leather good to get right. A good one anchors your everyday carry: card slots that hold their shape, leather that takes a patina, hardware that does not loosen. This edit gathers British house staples and a wider field of slim cardholders and zip-arounds, so you can match the format to how you actually pay and carry.
EditThe Best Designer Trench Coats
Designer trench coats are the one outerwear shape that earns its keep across seasons, and this edit gathers the best of them for women and men. Burberry built its name on gabardine, but the rail now runs wider: Mulberry, Sandro and Maje for a softer cut, Alexander McQueen for a sharper shoulder. We have grouped the selection by who it is for and by the classic gabardine styles worth knowing. Start with the cut that suits your build, then think colour.