The one piece of clothing I can’t live without...

There are some items in our wardrobes that we return to again and again, defying our rabid desire for the new. But what are they – and why do they keep calling us back?

Nicolas Gabard, founder and creative director of Husbands Paris 

Vintage velvet jacket

I bought this jacket 20 years ago. It’s from the 1970s, it’s made from cheap dark-blue velvet and it’s got a kind of Jarvis Cocker style to it; it’s also quite David Hemmings in Blow-Up. It’s too small for me really, but it is one of my favourite jackets. I bought it from a vintage store in Paris before I got married and I still wear it a lot. For the past few years we’ve been trying to copy the shoulder at Husbands – it’s got this kind of pagoda shape but with very little padding – but it never quite seems to match; they’re always too strong. Our single-breasted velvet jacket [£1,008] is in the same spirit but has a straighter line. One day I hope we’ll be able to recreate the super-subtle style of mine – maybe in AW25.

Charlene Prempeh, author and founder of A Vibe Called Tech

Rick Owens sleeveless puffer coat 

A decade ago I lived in a creative community in Southwark, and one day this TV and film agent called John Wood asked whether I wanted to buy a sleeveless puffer. It sounds tragic, but that moment honestly changed my life. I think I gave him £200 for it. Today, it’s the garment that I most associate with my personal style. It’s partly functional but it’s also kind of ridiculous. A puffer with no arms doesn’t really make sense, but the silhouette is dramatic, and I love that it can be flexed up or down depending on the temperature. I can basically wear it throughout the year in the UK, given how bonkers our weather is – and I do. I’ve since bought another version in brown.

Ben Cobb, editor of ES Magazine

Tom Ford brown rollneck jumper 

I’ve had my chocolate-brown Tom Ford rollneck for 16 years or so, and I still adore it. It’s a beautiful cashmere-silk blend so it feels amazing on, and it’s great for wearing under tailoring. Brown is also my favourite colour and a big tone in my wardrobe, so it works brilliantly with lots of pieces. My wife bought it for one of my birthdays. We hadn’t been together that long at this point, but once I opened this present I knew she was a keeper. (Just to clarify, that’s not why I married her. Well, not entirely.)

Bianca Saunders, founder and creative director of Bianca Saunders

Vintage black V-neck jumper

I found my chunky V-neck on Vinted. It’s slightly cropped and oversized, and I wear it all the time. I don’t own that many jumpers, but I feel like I have a bit of a uniform when I wear this one: I’m able to get dressed in the morning without thinking about it too much. I mostly wear clothes that I’ve designed, and I’m a very indecisive shopper, so when I find something I like – a staple piece – then it will become a constant go-to. I like this jumper’s timelessness, which mirrors the way I design. When I make clothes I think about whether it will be able to be worn in the future without looking like it’s out of fashion. That’s important to me. 

William Gilchrist, stylist and design consultant

William Gilchrist hybrid shirt-jacket

I’ve worked with various tailors to develop hybrid shirt-jackets over the years. I have one that I tend to wear in summer, and I also own a warmer one. The original was inspired by a safari jacket that my father used to wear when we lived in Africa. I had the first one tailored from lightweight linen. I didn’t like the classic short sleeves so I added long jacket sleeves and a kind of Neapolitan tailored shoulder; I also adapted the pockets to be bellows pockets. It’s probably best described as a mix between a safari jacket and a Cuban guayabera. It’s also similar to something that Indonesian politicians wear. I often layer a light version of the jacket over the top of a shirt in the summer because I can’t stand wearing shirts on their own. I feel a bit incomplete, a bit laddish. The jacket – which I’ve had remade and repaired many times over the years – is effortless and elegant, I hope. I’ve made a few for friends over the years, including Charlie Watts, and I’m currently producing a limited run.

Caroline Issa, publisher and fashion director of Tank magazine

Miu Miu A-line trench coat

I bought my Miu Miu raincoat in 2002. I had just started working in fashion at Tank magazine, coming from management consulting where I wore a lot of practical coats. This new coat combined that practicality – it’s waterproof – with an incredible flair, which took my new persona to the next level. It has an A-line shape with a wide belt so you can cinch the waist in. It’s also got a great high collar. I’ve lost the little strap that holds up the collar, but that doesn’t matter – it’s still the greatest coat I’ll ever own. I feel like a part of my fashion language would be lost if I ever misplaced or damaged it.

Nick Wakeman, founder and creative director of Studio Nicholson 

Arts & Science room shoes

I bought these house slippers on a trip to Japan 16 years ago. They’re in such great condition because I tend to admire them more than I wear them. Everyone takes their shoes off in Japan, which I love. I’ve always been a big advocate of taking your shoes off when you go inside the house. In fact, I take all my clothes off – I have indoor clothes and outdoor clothes. When I first visited Japan it changed my life: texture was everywhere; everything was clean and tidy and ordered. The Arts & Science backless room shoes in claret leather embody that feeling for me. Now, whenever I go to people’s houses in Japan, I look at their slipper collection by the front door. You can tell a lot about people by the slippers they wear.

Alexander Fury, journalist, curator and editor 

Prada black nylon backpack

I bought my first nylon Prada backpack relatively early on in my journey into fashion. I now buy a new version every few years; it just does the job. I’ve gone for some deviations from the original design, but the classic – pocket on the front, handle on the top, a zip enclosure – has proved the best. Plenty of other fashion people seem similarly loyal to this style – Amanda Harlech has one she’s used to death – which is interesting because they’re quite nondescript really. It’s not an It bag as such, although it is Prada. I’ve got a lot of bags, but nothing ever works as well. I somehow feel secure when I’m carrying it. It knows what it’s doing.

Anna Foster, founder and creative director of ELV Denim 

My mum’s striped shirt

I stole this shirt from my mother when I was about 17. She had such style and beauty and I just wanted to be her. She taught me the value of good-quality garments and she taught me how to look after them. It was this shirt, with its masculine stripe, that first inspired the Diana shirt (named after her), which is now in my collection. Sadly my mother passed away 16 years ago, but I still wear her shirt – whether it’s under a jumpsuit or on its own with shorts – and every time I wear it, I feel connected to her. 

The Closet: A Coming of Age Story of the Clothes that Made Me, by Teo van den Broeke, is published by HQ at £18.99