Designers – The 5 Star Edit

The Row’s Bags: The Quiet Ones Everyone Knows

Taiwo Adedayo — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 01:30:28 +0000

The Row makes bags that are recognised by their shape rather than a logo. Most are made in Italy, all are in quiet leathers, and each has a clear job.

The Row Marlo 12 Textured-leather Tote

The icon, reworked

Marlo 12

The Marlo 12 follows the rounded shape of the Margaux, The Row’s best-known bag, in black leather. The sides expand, so a phone, wallet, sunglasses and planner all fit.

The Row Marlo 12 Textured-leather Tote £4,540 at NET-A-PORTER

The Row Agnes 12 Leather Shoulder Bag

Gets better with age

Agnes 12

Softly structured black leather with tubular handles and folded sides. The embossed, unfinished leather softens and gains texture as you wear it.

The Row Agnes 12 Leather Shoulder Bag £4,080 at NET-A-PORTER

The Row India Small Full-grain Leather Tote

Every day

India

A simple dark brown tote in full-grain leather, sized for the essentials.

The Row India Small Full-grain Leather Tote £3,150 NET-A-PORTER

The Row N/s Park Small Leather Tote £1,350 NET-A-PORTER

The Row Sylvia Leather Clutch

For evening

Sylvia clutch

Camel leather on a gold-tone frame, with a card slot and a slinky strap that clips on.

Sale

The Row Sylvia Leather Clutch £2,058 ~~Was £3,430~~ 40% off at NET-A-PORTER

Which to choose

For a work bag, the Marlo. For a bag that ages well, the Agnes. For every day, the India or the N/S Park. For evenings, the Sylvia. Read our The Row guide.

The Cartier Tank: A Buyer’s Guide

Taiwo Adedayo — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 01:30:27 +0000

Louis Cartier made the first Tank in 1917. Its vertical sides were drawn from the treads of First World War tanks, and more than a century later it is still the rectangular watch every other one is measured against. There are several Tanks, and they are not the same watch.

Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Automatic 18-karat Gold Watch

The original

Tank Louis Cartier

The closest to the first design. This 25.5mm version is 18-karat gold with a red dial and tonal Roman numerals, powered by the Swiss-made calibre 1917 MC automatic movement.

Editor's pick

Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Automatic 18-karat Gold Watch £13,800 at NET-A-PORTER

Cartier Tank Must De Cartier Stainless Steel Watch

The everyday Tank

Tank Must

The accessible way into the Tank: stainless steel, classic Roman numerals, blued-steel sword hands and a crystal cabochon in the crown.

Cartier Tank Must De Cartier Stainless Steel Watch £3,500 at NET-A-PORTER

Cartier Tank Américaine Small Stainless Steel Watch

Longer and curved

Tank Américaine

A stainless steel rectangular case with a silver satin-brushed dial (look closely at the X for the Cartier logo) and an alligator strap that shapes to your wrist over time. Swiss-made quartz.

Cartier Tank Américaine Small Stainless Steel Watch £3,950 at NET-A-PORTER

Cartier Tank Française Medium Stainless Steel and Diamond Watch

Watch as jewellery

Tank Française

A slim bracelet with a hidden clasp. This version edges the steel case with 26 brilliant-cut diamonds, 0.62 carats in total.

Cartier Tank Française Medium Stainless Steel and Diamond Watch £8,900 at NET-A-PORTER

Which Tank is right for you?

For heritage and gold, the Tank Louis Cartier. For everyday steel, the Tank Must. For a longer case on a strap, the Américaine. For a bracelet that reads like jewellery, the Française. Read our Cartier guide.

Loro Piana Loafers: Which Pair to Buy

Taiwo Adedayo — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 01:30:23 +0000

Loro Piana is known first for cashmere, but its loafers have become the quiet status shoe of the season. Every pair here is made in Italy, and each one solves a slightly different problem. Here is how to tell them apart.

Loro Piana Floaty Nubuck Loafers

The softest

Floaty

The Floaty looks like a slipper and feels like one. It is made from very soft suede with nothing more than tonal tabs at the front and back, which is why it is the pair people wear on long days and flights.

Choose it if comfort comes first.

Loro Piana Floaty Nubuck Loafers £650 at NET-A-PORTER

Loro Piana Anton Walk Leather Loafers

Two shoes in one

Anton Walk

The Anton Walk is a sleek tan leather loafer with an almond toe, and the back folds down so you can wear it as a mule.

Choose it if you want one pair that covers both.

Editor's pick

Loro Piana Anton Walk Leather Loafers £735 at NET-A-PORTER

Loro Piana Sergio Leather Loafers

The classic, with an edge

Sergio

The Sergio is a penny loafer with an almond toe, made in a deep grape leather that still goes with almost everything: tailoring, dresses, jeans.

Loro Piana Sergio Leather Loafers £890 at NET-A-PORTER

Loro Piana Tasseled Suede Collapsible-heel Loafers

For real weather

Tasselled suede

This navy suede pair has a water-repellent finish, the house My Charms tassels and a rubber-dot sole for grip. The heel collapses when you want it backless.

Choose it if you live somewhere it rains.

Loro Piana Tasseled Suede Collapsible-heel Loafers £685 at NET-A-PORTER

How to choose

For comfort, the Floaty. For versatility, the Anton Walk. For something that stands out, the Sergio. For grip and weather, the tasselled suede. See all flats.

Jenny Packham: The Designer the Princess of Wales Keeps Returning To

Taiwo Adedayo — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 23:50:52 +0000

Catherine, Princess of Wales has chosen Jenny Packham for many of her official events, and the reason is easy to see in the gowns themselves. Packham designs for occasions: fabrics that move, embellishment that catches light softly rather than shouting, and shapes that photograph well from every angle.

The signatures

Look at a Packham evening gown and you see the same ideas return. Lightweight chiffon, draped rather than cut close to the body. Sequins and beads in tones close to the fabric, so the sparkle reads as texture from across a room. And a clean line, so the dress looks composed in a formal setting.

Jenny Packham Draped Wrap-effect Embellished Chiffon Gown

Black tie

The Draped Wrap-effect gown

Lightweight chiffon, wrapped and sewn with tonal sequins and beads that catch the light softly. It is the Packham gown for black tie, and for brides who prefer quiet sparkle.

Sale

Jenny Packham Draped Wrap-effect Embellished Chiffon Gown £966 ~~Was £3,220~~ 70% off at NET-A-PORTER

Jenny Packham Cape-effect Embellished Tulle and Chiffon Gown

For the bride

The Cape-effect gown

White tulle covered in sequins, with crystals along the bodice and a chiffon cape that moves as you walk. Made for the ceremony and the photographs.

Sale

Jenny Packham Cape-effect Embellished Tulle and Chiffon Gown £882 ~~Was £2,940~~ 70% off at NET-A-PORTER

How to wear it

Keep everything else quiet. A Packham gown is already doing the work, so choose a simple heel, a small clutch and one piece of jewellery. For black tie, a pointed pump or a strappy evening sandal both work.

Jimmy Choo Azia 95 Patent-leather Sandals £695 NET-A-PORTER

Sale

Jimmy Choo Aurelie 85 Faux Pearl-embellished Patent-leather Pumps £375 ~~Was £750~~ 50% off NET-A-PORTER

Sale

Gianvito Rossi Plexi 85 Leather and Pvc Pumps £191 ~~Was £635~~ 70% off NET-A-PORTER

Cartier Ballon Bleu De Cartier 18-karat Pink Gold Diamond Watch £40,000 NET-A-PORTER

Max Mara’s 101801: Why This Coat Has Lasted Since the 1980s

Taiwo Adedayo — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 23:50:51 +0000

Open a Max Mara 101801 and you will find a small note stitched into the lining telling the coat’s history. It is a clue to how the house sees this piece: not as a seasonal design, but as an object with a past. The 101801 has been in the collection since the 1980s, and the shape you can buy today is recognisably the same coat.

Max Mara Madame 101801 Icon Double-breasted Wool and Cashmere-blend Coat

The making

What makes it different

The fabric is a wool and cashmere blend, and it is felted in a process that runs to 73 steps. Felting draws the fibres together, which is what gives the cloth its density, its warmth and the gentle sheen you notice in daylight. It is made in Italy.

The cut does the rest. It is double-breasted, closed with a knotted belt, and the sleeves are softly draped rather than sharply set in. That combination is why it works over a suit and over a thick knit, and why it still looks right decades after it was first drawn.

Editor's pick

Max Mara Madame 101801 Icon Double-breasted Wool and Cashmere-blend Coat £2,715 at NET-A-PORTER

Max Mara Teddy Bear Icon Oversized Camel-hair and Silk-blend Coat

The family

The rest of the family

Max Mara has built a small group of coats that are bought the same way: once, and kept. The Teddy Bear, launched in 2013, is camel hair woven with silk into a plush, oversized pile.

The Manuela is a camel-hair wrap coat, lined in satin and tied at the waist.

Editor's pick

Max Mara Teddy Bear Icon Oversized Camel-hair and Silk-blend Coat £2,770 NET-A-PORTER

Editor's pick

Max Mara Manuela Belted Camel-hair Wrap Coat £2,225 NET-A-PORTER

Is it worth it?

A coat you wear every day for a decade costs less per wear than most things in your wardrobe. That is the honest case for the 101801: it is expensive, it is not fashionable in the way that changes each season, and it will still be the coat you reach for long after this winter.

Designers – The 5 Star Edit

The Row’s Bags: The Quiet Ones Everyone Knows

Marlo 12

Agnes 12

India

Sylvia clutch

Which to choose

The Cartier Tank: A Buyer’s Guide

Tank Louis Cartier

Tank Must

Tank Américaine

Tank Française

Which Tank is right for you?

Loro Piana Loafers: Which Pair to Buy

Floaty

Anton Walk

A loafer in grape

Sergio

Tasselled suede

How to choose

Jenny Packham: The Designer the Princess of Wales Keeps Returning To

The signatures

The Draped Wrap-effect gown

The Cape-effect gown

How to wear it

Max Mara’s 101801: Why This Coat Has Lasted Since the 1980s

What makes it different

The rest of the family

Is it worth it?