best-wardrobes-in-britain

If we looked through your wardrobe on any given day what would we find?  You would see automatically see a lot of coats, shirts, blazers and jeans. I love easy basics like neutrals and jersey as they make such a great foundation for all my outfits. But, I’m also slowly building my collection of statement and investment pieces to add points of interest. This year I’ve been much better at shopping smart with purchases, and some items are sat on my wish list for months before I buy them because any item I commit to, it’s because I genuinely love it and it works well with everything I already have in my wardrobe.   At Who What Wear we’re big advocates of the hard-working capsule wardrobe too. So, if we go back to what inspires your look, who are t...

Are there any pieces in your wardrobe that are particularly sentimental to you? I’ve always spoken about the beauty of simplicity. Like the Antik Batik dress that I bought when I was 18 for my graduation. It’s always been my lucky dress. It’s like a silk crepe, really easy V-neck piece that just works, and I had such a good night in it. Every time I’ve worn it since, I associate it with so many good memories, not to mention the fact that it’s still going strong. It’s like, what, 14 or 15 years old, and I love pieces like that that can just withstand the test of time. My white suit from Joseph is another that’s really sentimental. And again, I know that I’m going to have that forever.   What...

What are your best charity-shop shopping tips? I think it’s really important when you go shopping for second-hand clothes to listen to your gut and your instincts. Like starting a relationship or meeting someone for the first time, it’s really about trusting what you’re drawn to and what sparks you up inside. And that’s why I love buying second-hand clothes because I’m not being driven by anything that anyone’s told me, and I’m not being driven by the kind of standard tropes of shopping, which is like, “I’m looking for a size 12. I’m looking for something brown. I’m looking for a dress.” I just go out, and I come back with the things that I was drawn to, whether that be a skirt, a jacket, or top or a pair of shoes. And...

How do you find wearing costumes. Is that important to you when you’re acting? I really enjoy that side—I definitely think the costume is one of the most important things for me when I’m acting because it just transforms you to that place straightaway. If I’m not feeling it or I’m finding it hard to access that world, the second you put in a corset or wig, you know that you’re there. So it’s so, so, so important. And I think as well, you get to dress up every day, but then if you’ve got a premiere or something, then you get to dress up and go really glam, which is really exciting and a way that you wouldn’t usually dress. It can be frustrating, though. You know, if you were just going to a friend’s party, maybe you wear something t...

Welcome to the latest, highly exciting instalment of Who What Wear UK’s Best Wardrobes in Britain. It’s where we do exactly what it says on the tin: delve into the most fantastical, awe-inspiring and downright influential wardrobes. We’re honing in on the women who cause the street style photographers to press their shutters as well as the characters you don’t yet know—the ones who fly under the radar with secretly incredible clothing collections.  When anyone on the Who What Wear UK team needs an endorphin hit of fashion joy, there’s one woman we turn to on Instagram: Nana Acheampong. In her roles as an editor and a fashion and celebrity stylist, Nana has a keen eye for colour, print, texture and fun outfit combinations that always provide...

When Hyatt moved to London from South Africa she was shopping every single week, but now she is more thoughtful about the way in which she approaches how she gets dressed. She naturally uses rental to supplement her wardrobe, but finds pieces on Depop and Etsy and rewears a lot of treasures passed down to her from her grandmothers. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t experiment and wear bold items—quite the opposite. She is drawn to bright colours, strong silhouettes and anything that has a ‘70s sensibility.  Keep scrolling to see inside her wardrobe and the story behind Rotaro. How did you come up with the idea for Rotaro? I used to work at WGSN in trend forecasting and consumer insight, working in the consulting team with luxury and fast fashion brands and consumer brands, helping th...

Welcome to the latest, highly exciting installment of Who What Wear UK’s Best Wardrobes in Britain. It’s where we do exactly what it says on the tin: delve into the most fantastical, awe-inspiring and downright influential wardrobes. We’re honing in on the women who cause the street style photographers to press their shutters as well as the characters you don’t yet know—the ones who fly under the radar with secretly incredible clothing collections. What I love the most about our Best Wardrobes in Britain franchise is seeing how someone’s personal style can be reflected throughout their home, and content creator Lindsey Isla’s colourful approach to getting dressed certainly extends to every single corner of her house. Stepping into her terrace in Margate is...

At what point did minimalism start to come to the fore of your own wardrobe? I actually think COS was quite a moment for me. When COS appeared, it was like, “Oh wow, there’s this whole minimal approach!” I think I was dipping into the H&M trend section before that, and then COS came along, and [I was] like, “Okay, this feels like it strikes a chord in me, and I want to dress like that.” That’s when it started, and then about three years ago, roughly, I made a decision to distil down my wardrobe into a palette that I felt was manageable, so I chose black, grey, camel and white—that tonal range. That’s partly because of how it looks—and I think that it suits me—but also partly because of the ease of getting dressed in the morning. I’m busy,...

With luxury purchases how do you decide what to spend more on? Even though I see the Hermes craze everywhere, that style of that bag is not me and I won’t rock it. If I could afford it I’d buy two as investment pieces and keep them in their box, but that boxy style of bag is not me. So it comes down to how much will you wear it. What I have learned is now I’m older and have a little more money to spare, is that clothes of that ilk are investment pieces. The Gucci shirt I’m wearing I have no doubt my kids can wear this if they want to. It’s not going anywhere. When I’m buying into that fast fashion rotation, because you’ve only spent £10 for that bodysuit you are more likely to be like ‘that is so last season.’ Nothing vexes my spirit more than Zara hauls. I want Zara hauls to die. Now! Dea...