Hannah Almassi’s Shopping Picks From the Best New-In Items

With 15 years of fashion experience behind me, I can spot a winning purchase from a mile off—and not just for my own wardrobe but for many friends, family members and Who What Wear readers too. Having lived through the rise of fast fashion, the impact of social media on product virality and the ever-increasing churn of runway collections, I’ve seen some pretty ridiculous trends come and go during my time in the industry, and by documenting them from afar (rather than always wearing them), I’ve become adept at sifting out the looks and items that have longevity. Certain pieces come back time and again, and many “trends” are actually quite classic. Stripes, basket bags and linen trousers for summer? Yep. Leopard-print coats, over-the-knee boots and dark, moody colours for winter? Always. 

I wouldn’t say my personal style isn’t particularly safe, but it’s very rare that I make a shopping misstep these days. My 20s were more experimental and led by thrifting—it was the only way I could try to re-create higher-fashion looks on a very limited fashion-assistant budget. My 30s have been punctuated with endless wardrobe culls (I rent, sell and give away a lot!) in order to streamline and refine my options. My husband would argue that my “fashion collection” still takes up an inordinate amount of space in our house despite my efforts to aim for a capsule closet, but fewer new items make their way in these days. Becoming a mum also altered my outlook; clothes and shoes now need to be a little more practical, and I have to be less precious about pieces getting covered in peanut butter or snot. It’s a tough adjustment, but the passion for great frocks, amazing knitwear, perfect-fit trousers, gorgeous shoes, chic handbags and pretty jewellery still remains. Specifically, midi dresses (both plain or printed but always modest), low heels, gold earrings and jazzy pants are my weaknesses.

Today, I try to zero in on the pieces that I know can be worn in multiple ways without feeling boring or too basic. If I buy into prints or a more “current” trend, I’ll try to consider whether it’ll still look fresh in a year or two’s time. I get things tailored because goodness knows being a 5’1” hourglass woman does not make shopping easy. So if you’re looking for an expert curation of buys with longevity, you came to the right place—keep scrolling for my wish list.