I managed to have a quick scout round the West End yesterday, all in the name of research you understand, just to see what was out there. My opinion? These are the shops to try:

COS – H&M’s big sister. Lovely neutrals, beautiful fabrics, simple and stylish.

Hoss Intropia: some fabulous designs, easy to wear but look fabulous

Ronan Chen; if you need a capsule wardrobe for under £500, this is the shop to go to. He really understands the parts of our bodies we want to camouflage and the fabrics and drape are just right. Prices start from an incredible £20.

Shaping up is Ghost, who have tempted two freelance designers to bring some Italian influence  to their designs and Whistles also seems to be looking after the slightly older age group again.  

The good news is that Liz Houghton, a chic 40 something from the now gone Principles chain, is planning a come back with a small chain of stores that will address all the others’ omissions. I guess that means us!

Happy shopping.