Five modest pieces that do absolutely everything

Building a wardrobe you actually reach for is less about volume and more about repetition. The pieces below are the ones our customers reorder in new colours season after season, because they simply keep working.

Start with a pleated midi skirt. It reads formal with a tucked poplin shirt and completely relaxed with a knit and sneakers. Because the pleats hold their own shape, it travels well and needs very little pressing.

Next, an oversized poplin shirt. Wear it buttoned and tucked for structure, open over a column dress as a light layer, or belted as a short dress over trousers. One shirt, three silhouettes.

A column knit dress is the piece to own if mornings are rushed. Add a blazer for work, a head wrap and pearls for an event, and flat boots for a market day.

Wide-leg trousers give you coverage without heaviness, and they balance every top in your cupboard. Look for a high rise and a soft drape that moves when you walk.

Finally, one good bag. A half-moon leather shape in a warm brown goes with the entire list above and quietly lifts everything you already own.