We’ve all bought that item (so beguiling in the shop) then brought it home only to discover it goes with nothing in your wardrobe. At The White Company, we never want that to be the case, which is why Clothing Director Sheila McKain created a ‘five ways’ test for every item in our collection. “It’s about helping you to get the perfect edit that every woman wants,” she says.

Each year, our head office staff work in stores for two days – an opportunity to meet customers as they’re shopping, to see how well the process works. “It was eye opening,” Sheila explains. “I felt sometimes it was hard for people to figure out what went with what. I came back determined to change that.”

Rather than individual items, Sheila and the team focused on outfits. “I locked myself in a room with our Design Manager and we challenged ourselves, ‘How do we actually outfit this?’. Anything that couldn’t be styled in five clear ways was questioned, adjusted and, if necessary, cut.

The result? An always hard-working capsule, where each piece can be mixed and matched, for almost endless versatility. “Now the whole collection goes through this exercise every season. We have a model who comes in, and we try all the outfits before we sign off a single thing.

What does this look like in reality? Well, take our Casual Balloon Trousers. (“We’re all in love with these,” says Sheila.) A white, voluminous wide leg might feel like a statement, but, she promises, they‘re a wardrobe staple, and so hard working. “We’ve styled it here with a little Breton top and jacket – a casual weekend look. But they are also great with a loose, chunky cable-knit or smartened up for evening with a tucked-in knit.