luxury

Over the pandemic, there have been some retail trends that have been very predictable—the spike in jogging-bottom sales, printed face masks and shoes appropriate for multiple laps of the park. Some of the trends, however, have been a surprise to even the most experienced buyers and editors, and one has been the rise in fine-jewellery sales. According to retailers like MatchesFashion.com, there has been a rise in sales, in particular, of statement cocktail rings that are fun and uplifting, and you don’t get any jollier than Italian jewellery designer Bea Bongiasca’s colourful Baby Vine Tendril rings.  According to Threads Styling, these rings have been one of the most sought-after items recently, with “clients buying multiples of the rings to stack and layer...

I adore candles. From the room-filling scents and gorgeous jars to the way that lighting one signals a welcome shift into evening and the chance to wind down, I truly love everything about them. So it might seem out of sorts for me to be declaring that for the last couple of weeks, I’ve totally ignored my vast candle collection in favour of a new diffuser, but that’s exactly what’s happened. Enter Aromatherapy Associates The Atomiser (£120). I’ll be honest. I’ve never really gotten the fuss about diffusers. With reed diffusers, I always forget to flip the reeds over for a periodic fragrance boost, and I find that the oils tend to evaporate way faster than I would like, leaving an empty bottle of sticks just hanging around on my fireplace for months afterward. ...

I adore candles. From the room-filling scents and gorgeous jars to the way that lighting one signals a welcome shift into evening and the chance to wind down, I truly love everything about them. So it might seem out of sorts for me to be declaring that for the last couple of weeks, I’ve totally ignored my vast candle collection in favour of a new diffuser, but that’s exactly what’s happened. Enter Aromatherapy Associates The Atomiser (£120). I’ll be honest. I’ve never really gotten the fuss about diffusers. With reed diffusers, I always forget to flip the reeds over for a periodic fragrance boost, and I find that the oils tend to evaporate way faster than I would like, leaving an empty bottle of sticks just hanging around on my fireplace for months afterward. ...

Add to this the fact that many big-name brands are reissuing classic bags from their archive collections (think Gucci’s Jackie or Prada’s nylon styles), which has resulted in searches for the “originals” skyrocketing. There is, of course, the elephant in the room, which is designer dupes, and we recommend sticking to sites such as Vestiaire that offer in-house verification teams so you know your purchase is the real deal.  Getting your search terms right can be a bit of an art, but most sites offer price brackets so you can adapt to your budget as well as options to refine by brand, vintage, model and fabric. The more specific you are, the easier it’ll be to find what you want. However, if you’re looking for a starting point, we’...

We’re far enough along into the spring/summer 2021 season now to see some clear runners and riders when it comes to the most popular designer pieces. Investments have been made, sold-out markers introduced and restocks are on their way. We’re constantly charting the rise of cult items—such as The Row’s beige trousers or Matteau’s fig leaf shirt—but we thought it would be helpful for you to have all of the year’s key buys in one place. The criteria for getting into such a special gallery? These items need to be genuinely trending: It’s not about paid ad campaigns and marketing blitzes, but actually expensive items women are willing to put their money on to wear now and, we hope, well into the future. In addition to their authenticity in Fashion ...

As several warehouses and stores shuttered over the past 12 months, the fashion industry faces huge challenges and strains that pose an inevitable threat to businesses. Many of us won’t be shopping in the same way right now, but even a like on Instagram or a message of support can provide a boost for these brands. I certainly don’t want anyone to feel like they have to buy more right now, but at the same time, after working in the fashion industry for nine years, I want to support the brands and pieces that I love and treasure. As an editor at Who What Wear, I typically spend a lot of time looking at new-in products and so every week, I update this story with the pieces that have caught my eye and that really stand out. I usually have quite a classic style and tend to lean towa...

The sun has made a much-anticipated appearance this week, meaning we can finally do our winter-to-summer switchover. No item signals the arrival of sunshine quite like a pair of sunglasses, and this year’s trends really are the finishing touch to any outfit. From ultra classic styles to ’70s squares, there is no shortage of wonderful frames to choose from. Investing in an expensive pair of sunglasses can be a big commitment, especially if, like I do, you have a habit of losing or sitting on your precious shades. However, when I have bought expensive sunglasses, I have not only treated them with extreme care but also been sure to select shades that I will be excited to wear every day for years to come. If you’ve decided to treat yourself to a designer pair of sunglasses, the...

But, in the meantime, I’ll just have to make-do with my imagination and the escapist capabilities of online window shopping. And of course, NET-A-PORTER is the first place I’ll head. After 12 months of tracksuit bottoms and shearling slippers, I’ll take any excuse to slip on a dress and fancy sandals, so these are what are primarily making up my current wishlist. I typically like to balance out formal silhouettes with more casual styles, so my dream outfit line-up is an eclectic mix of paint box brights paired with classic tan sandals, clean-cut linen minis elevated with wedge heels and ditzy florals balanced-out by raffia mules.  The brands at the top of my wishlist include Rejina Pyo, that can always be relied ...

While there’s genuinely nothing I love more than sharing my favourite beauty finds with people—whether that’s through my writing here or in a flurry of WhatsApp messages with friends seeking a new moisturiser—I can’t deny that recommending a product always makes me feel a bit jittery. After all, I’m lucky enough to be sent lots of products to try as part of my job and while I’d never advocate for anything that I didn’t genuinely think was great, suggesting that somebody actually parts with their hard-earned cash to buy it always makes me nervous. Because, let’s face it, beauty is incredibly personal. A certain cleanser that I’ve said is brilliant at soothing breakouts might truly work, but if my best friend only likes crea...

As several warehouses and stores shuttered over the past 12 months, the fashion industry faces huge challenges and strains that pose an inevitable threat to businesses. Many of us won’t be shopping in the same way right now, but even a like on Instagram or a message of support can provide a boost for these brands. I certainly don’t want anyone to feel like they have to buy more right now, but at the same time, after working in the fashion industry for nine years, I want to support the brands and pieces that I love and treasure. As an editor at Who What Wear, I typically spend a lot of time looking at new-in products and so every week, I update this story with the pieces that have caught my eye and that really stand out. I usually have quite a classic style and tend to lean towa...

As several warehouses and stores shuttered over the past 12 months, the fashion industry faces huge challenges and strains that pose an inevitable threat to businesses. Many of us won’t be shopping in the same way right now, but even a like on Instagram or a message of support can provide a boost for these brands. I certainly don’t want anyone to feel like they have to buy more right now, but at the same time, after working in the fashion industry for nine years, I want to support the brands and pieces that I love and treasure. As an editor at Who What Wear, I typically spend a lot of time looking at new-in products and so every week, I update this story with the pieces that have caught my eye and that really stand out. I usually have quite a classic style and tend to lean towa...

After the winter we’ve had, the arrival of summer has never been so anticipated. With restrictions steadily easing, we now have a reason to carry a handbag again for the events in our diary that require careful packing. Summer handbags often need a chuck-it-all-in quality—you want to be able to squeeze in a bottle of rosé, suncream and multiple park snacks to your bag. There are certain styles that will always be popular in summer for this very reason, such as an oversized basket bag or a practical tote. Loewe is a designer that really leads the way here, as several years later and its logo-patch raffia tote is still a timeless investment that is highly sought after.  Other handbags I have noticed that are popular every single year, are white l...