Who What Wear

September 17, 2021 at 08:00AM The knitted dress trend has come back in a seriously big way in 2021. You might not have realised this because in many ways it’s the kind of frock that never really goes out of fashion. However, there’s one key component of this year’s style that French women have been wearing forever. When it comes to knitted dresses in France, les françaises are more likely to opt for a fitted version. No saggy, loose-fitting sacks for our friends across the channel—thank you very much. Instead, it’s about considered knitwear that is more body-con and has some kind of structure. Case in point: Khaite’s chic black version which I spotted on Camille Charrière some time ago. The sweetheart neckline is what really makes this dress sing, but I love the demure nature of the long sleeves, too. This season, the brand has brought…

September 17, 2021 at 08:00AM I don’t know about you, but the past year has felt long. I’ve got more grey hair and more wrinkles, and despite going to bed earlier, I’m still tired. There’s no denying that I’ve felt like I’ve aged faster in lockdown. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this (I have no issues with changing hair colour or a few lines on my face), the speed at which it has happened has been a little disconcerting. I want to feel like myself again, and for me, that means getting a haircut. Over the past few months, I’ve lost count of the number of people who have said their hair needs cutting, from my husband to my colleagues as well as my parents. The craving to get a chop has been strong. Personally, I’m desperate to get my hair cut back into a…

September 17, 2021 at 06:15AM Emma wears the Free People leather trousers from this week’s shopping picks, with a Shrimps cardigan and Essen pumps.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. The weather recently has seen us all return to our knitwear and raincoats, and so I’ve started compiling my autumn wish list. Below, I’ve included some of the chicest autumn-ready items I’ve seen this year, including a beautiful printed dress, chunky pair of boots and a Simone Rocha dress I’ve been dreaming about for years. So whether you’re looking to buy, browse or discover something new, keep scrolling for pieces I love and think are worth investing in, from the high street to designer labels. I…

September 17, 2021 at 06:08AM Puffer coats have long been considered practical, but stylish? Thanks to a host of designer interpretations of the cosy, borderline-ugly outerwear, they’ve become something of a fashion girl must-have. Arguably it was last year when the puffer coat’s sartorial status really reached its peak, with the likes of Bottega Veneta creating a very special leather puffer coat, which swiftly made its way to the top of many an editor and influencer’s wish list. But then in 2021, we started off the year (yet again) spending a lot more time outside, and the duvet coat became a non negotiable essential for many of us, and not just those with budgets for the designer versions. Back in February, according to global fashion search platform Lyst, searches for “duvet coat" were "rising quickly and are currently up 34% since the start of the month”. People were also searching for “maxi down coat”,…

September 17, 2021 at 06:06AM When it comes to designer bags, our wish list is as long as the arms we’d dutifully carry them in. Of course, brands like Hermès, Chanel, and Loewe feature prolifically on it, as do new-wave labels such as Khaite and Wandler. But the design house that claims the most positions has to be Chloé.  Relatively speaking, Chloé hasn’t been in the bag-making game all that long. Its first foray into arm-candy territory came in 2005 when it debuted the Paddington, a gold padlock-adorned leather tote, which sold out its first run of 8000 handbags before a single one even hit the boutique shelves, breaking retail records. Who What Wear UK Editor in Chief Hannah Almassi carries the Chloè C crossbody handbag. Fast-forward 16 years, the French fashion powerhouse has bestowed us with more It bags than we can count. There’s Tess, Drew, C, Nile, Darryl, Faye, Aby,…

September 17, 2021 at 06:05AM I have to be honest: I’m a bit of a snob about high-street shoes because I worry about quality and fit. But every now and then, a pair comes along and alters my fussy viewpoint. Trust me—My wardrobe is not stacked high with Manolos and Guccis. I do have styles in my collection from Marks and Spencer that look very premium (and editor Emma Spedding swears by these ballet pumps), Uterqüe is a real winner for real leather, and every now and then, H&M comes through with the goods. But I am selective.It looks like autumn 2021 could be a turning point, as there are a handful of new footwear trends—namely the ongoing adoration for chunky-soled boots—that translate well when it comes to wallet-friendly price tags. In the past fortnight, I’ve noticed one particular pair of H&M boots standing out above…

September 17, 2021 at 06:00AM It’s not nice to have favourites, but there’s no denying that when it comes to high-performing ingredients dermatologists and skin experts clearly have a class pet: retinol. The anti-ageing skincare hero of the moment, facialists and aestheticians consistent recommend that once we hit 30 we should all be adding a retinol to our routine for its skin-smoothing, texture-refining benefits. And while  Heck, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s facialist is so obsessed with the ingredient that she created her own cult retinol serum: It's that good. However, due to its potent nature, most retinol serums, lotions and moisturisers come with strict instructions to avoid applying around your eye area. So, are our eyes destined to a life of fine lines, puffiness and dark circles? Thankfully, no! Turns out, there are a whole host of hardworking retinol eye creams available—most of which are infused with other skin-friendly ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides and vitamin…

September 17, 2021 at 06:00AM You might think that looking ahead to next year’s wedding-dress trends is crazy, but let me assure you: it isn’t. You see, while we tend to divide the year into two “normal” fashion seasons and predict what’s coming six months ahead, wedding dresses are more complicated. Why? Since weddings tend to happen months or years after a couple’s engagement, planning ahead is key. And while you definitely don’t have to follow trends on your big day, the upcoming trends might give you some inspiration.The pandemic has changed bridal trends in ways we couldn’t have foreseen. Plenty of brides have opted for more pared-back looks to match more low-key weddings. Suits and simple shift dresses have been spotted on plenty of brides. On the flip side, some brides have just wanted to wear something spectacular, regardless of how many people, if…

September 17, 2021 at 06:00AM Typically, when I see that Alexa Chung has posted another outfit pic on Instagram, my reaction looks something like the army-pants-and-flip-flops girl’s scene in Mean Girls. So yes, I saw Alexa Chung wearing a lace slip dress to a party, and now I want to wear a lace slip dress to a party. The dress in question wasn’t labeled, but knowing Chung’s penchant for vintage pieces, I assumed that it was a secondhand find. The same can be said of the stunning mint green number spotted on influencer and vintage seller Pernille Rosenkilde. I sense a trend emerging.Christmas-party season might feel like a long way away right now, but considering how quickly August has gone by, it won’t be long before we’re all on the hunt for something shiny for the work do (it’s been way too long). Incidentally,…

September 17, 2021 at 05:00AM I can only speak for myself, but up until about five years ago, I didn’t wear vintage jewellery. It used to be the kind of thing I’d only buy in a panicked fashion when I needed a bejewelled headband for a ’30s-inspired murder-mystery costume. Ideally, it had to be inexpensive, as it was a one-off, and I’d never wear it again.Thanks to plenty of trends coming back around (from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s), as well as people being more mindful about shopping sustainably (myself included), the vintage jewellery market is booming. And plenty of fashion editors I know are shopping at various places for key pieces. One major destination for the fashion crowd is Susan Caplan. The eponymous brand was launched in 2008, and it now boasts one of the biggest vintage jewellery collections in the UK.Pictured: Susan…