Vırginia Chadwyck-Healey Dressing for Britain

To create quality tops that are responsibly sourced, one firm has gone back to basics

When did you last buy a plain T-shirt? Do you always need that extra layer? How often do you attempt to sort through your tops and cull those (70 per cent) you don’t wear? Why aren’t you wearing them? Too clingy over arms or tummy? Perhaps you bought five for £15, yet only really rotate two, leaving the others redundant at the back of a heaving drawer. (“So great for yoga” … when did you last wear them for yoga?) Do you find wearing them a bit awkward as you feel too on-show? It transpires that these really useful “basics” are actually proving to be the most complex of characters in our cast of wardrobe wonders.

“Basics” are such a personal choice that they veer on divisive and I’m not setting out to create mayhem on a Sunday morning over a T-shirt, but I’ve got a goody for you today. To really vouch for this brand, I “tried before I Telegraph’d”. And the fact that you are now reading a full column on Lavender Hill Clothing should speak volumes.

Step away from another white teemultipack. Unless your line of work requires multiple T-shirts for hygiene purposes, I really can’t see why anyone would need more than one great top in any given colour.

I once cleared out my sister-in-law’s wardrobe (I have my uses), only to find nine, yes nine, white T-shirts. And no, she is not a dentist. I reminded her there are only seven days in a week. Many women also tend to have an unhealthy habit for Breton striped tops, too: easy fodder for any brand trying to sell to those looking for a retail hit “you can’t go wrong in”.

Interesting to note, then, that Lavender Hill Clothing sells just one Breton top. Overall, the brand’s focus is on single colour garments in classic shades, useful sleeve lengths, and several necklines. One item should work as: a) a smart layer under a blazer, b) a useful extra bit of warmth under a big jumper, or c) the perfect companion to a long skirt; and a great vehicle for a spring jacket.

“From the outset I’ve always said that we must develop what the customer wants and not what we think they need,” says founder Isobel Ridley, who set out to design for a variety of body shapes, without having to compromise quality or charge extortionate prices. With design experience from Burberry menswear, Ridley saw a gap for great garments to wear under jackets and jumpers that won’t ride up or cling. Above all, she didn’t want pieces that cost the earth – in any sense.

Ridley has a clear understanding (and I might add, assertiveness, which I love) that consumers deserve to know the whole picture. The transparency of her supply chain and manufacturing process, plus her direct contact with factories in the UK and in Portugal, gives the impression that she could pick up the phone at any time and discuss or tweak the collection. “The hardest thing about being a brand that ‘cares’ is that it takes time to create a really great product and form partnerships that can be scaled responsibly,” says Ridley. So to anyone thinking that this sustainability “angle” is easy to just whip up, think again.

Now the “science part”. Lavender Hill Clothing uses Tencel modal, a plantbased fibre made from beech wood, responsibly sourced in Austria. Tencel is the textile arm of the overarching brand Lenzing; a big player in the cellulose fibre market. Expect to see this name a lot in future, particularly if you are interested in green financial investments. Fully biodegradable – unless it is combined with synthetics, such as nylon (not the case here) – the USP is that “nature returns to nature” at the end of a garment’s life.

However, even if you are not interested in this insight, the comfort factor of Tencel modal means it is undeniably softer than anything else you might want this close to your skin. It also drapes beautifully so you won’t find any cling-concerns.

Price wise you’re looking at three for £150 rather than three for £15, but do you even need three? Again it’s about a shift away from overbuying. Buy only what you need and invest in better quality. Perhaps you are someone who buys free-range or organic food products? Think of brands like this as the wardrobe equivalent. It might require a bigger outlay (and more consideration) but it will simply work better for you, the environment, and your conscience. Not to mention that with fewer, better items, your basics drawer might actually close after all these years. Basically a win-win situation. Basically brilliant.