Colette opened at 213 rue Saint-Honoré in Paris in 1997, founded by Colette Roussaux and her daughter Sarah Andelman, and it closed in December 2017. Andelman once told Business of Fashion it was very important to carry some brands in exclusivity, or in avant premiere. That idea is still alive. Colette came back for a one-off pop-up inside the Virgil Abloh: The Codes exhibition at the Grand Palais in autumn 2025, and Highsnobiety covered a Drake's capsule of knitwear, coats and tailoring made for Mr Porter that October. For me an exclusive is a reason to visit one shop, and Mr P., Mr Porter's own label launched in November 2017, is the clearest example in this edit. I start with jackets. Valstar was founded in Milan in 1911 and was the first Italian company to make water-repellent raincoats, so its Stan linen bomber in brown comes with real outerwear lineage. Drake's green cotton-twill blouson and James Perse's black linen-blend one are the easy layers. The Mr P. double-breasted flannel blazer in black has satin trim for evenings. What I would skip is the Kartik Research embellished linen blouson at a client meeting, since the embellishment will be all anyone sees.

Canali was founded in 1934 by brothers Giovanni and Giacomo Canali in Triuggio, Italy, as a men's tailoring workshop, and it is still family run, now in its third generation. I find that shows in the plain pieces. The wool and cashmere-blend rollneck in white is the best thing in this grid, and the gray sweater from the same blend is the quieter pick. Inis Meáin knits on the island it is named for, and its factory is the only knitting factory on any of the three Aran Islands. It was founded in 1976 by Tarlach de Blácam and Áine Ní Chonghaile and is still in the family. Mr P.'s cashmere and silk-blend polo sweater is the one to wear to dinner. For the weekend side, Drake's navy half-zip sweatshirt and the NN07 David hoodie in gray are the easy ones. Wear the half-zip over a collared shirt. What I would skip is the white Canali rollneck on a day when you are cooking a tomato sauce, because white wool remembers everything.

Kardo was founded in 2013 by Rikki Kher with a single sewing machine in a Delhi workshop, and every piece is made start to finish by one artisan whose name is on the wash tag. I love that detail, and the Rohit convertible-collar cotton shirt in gray is a good place to see it. Brunello Cucinelli started in 1978 with colored cashmere knitwear, which was unusual at the time, and later made a ruined 14th-century castle in Solomeo its headquarters. Its white logo-print cotton-jersey tee is the quietest logo here. Frescobol Carioca's Roberto camp-collar silk-voile shirt in brown is for dinners on warm nights, and Auralee's striped cotton and silk-blend shirt is the one I would take on a trip. For polos, De Petrillo's knitted cotton polo in beige and Boglioli's open-collar ribbed linen and cotton polo in light gray both look right with tailored trousers. Boglioli was founded in 1974 in Gambara and is known for garment-dyed jackets. What I would skip is the Enfants Riches Déprimés Alan's Breakfast tee under a blazer at a wedding, because the distressing needs room to speak.

Trousers are where an exclusive earns its place, because you actually notice the cut. Paul Smith opened his first shop in 1970 at 6 Byard Lane in Nottingham, a space about three metres square with no windows. The straight-leg wool and cashmere-blend flannel trousers in brown are what I would wear all autumn. The Mr P. tapered pleated wool-flannel pair in black is the evening version. For warmer days, Boglioli's tapered linen trousers in beige and Drake's Games woven linen trousers in cream are the choices. James Perse's drawstring canvas pair and Kaptain Sunshine's cotton and linen-blend pair in brown fit a relaxed weekend. Kaptain Sunshine was launched in 2013 by Shinsuke Kojima, who re-edits clothes from archives rather than creating from zero. Two pairs of distressed jeans, from Ghiaia Cashmere and Cherry Los Angeles, close the grid. What I would skip is the Canali white cotton-twill trouser at a barbecue, since white trousers and charcoal smoke do not mix.

Officine Creative was founded in 1968 by Nazzareno Di Rosa in Montegranaro, a commune known for shoemaking, and every pair goes through a Time Machine process of over 100 steps meant to give an authentically worn look. That explains why the Balfron 002 boat shoes in brown suede and dark brown leather already look broken in. Castañer opened its first workshop in Bañolas, Catalonia, in 1927, and around 1970 worked with Yves Saint Laurent on the first espadrille with a wedge heel. The Parker canvas espadrille in sand is a calm, summery version. Mulo was started in London in 2012 by Tobias and Ingrid Cox after Tobias sailed across the Atlantic in canvas espadrilles, and the Weekender in cream is the one for holidays. For smarter feet, the Frescobol Carioca Leme loafer in brown suede and the Mr P. black leather loafer are the best two. Wear any of them without socks in warm weather. What I would skip is the Brunello Cucinelli suede flip flops anywhere with a dress code.

Bleu de Chauffe set up its workshop in 2010 in Saint-Georges-de-Luzençon near Millau, in France's Aveyron region, and each bag is made entirely by hand by a single craftsperson who signs it. The Sac Voyage weekend bag in brown suede and leather is the best object in the whole edit. Johnstons of Elgin, founded in 1797 in Scotland, became the first Scottish company to weave with cashmere in 1851, so the ribbed cashmere gloves and beanie set in beige make sense. visvim was founded in Tokyo in 2000 by former Burton Snowboards designer Hiroki Nakamura, and its Excelsior wool and silk-blend twill cap in black is the most interesting hat here. Brunello Cucinelli's two-tone round acetate sunglasses are the nicest of the eyewear, followed by the Saint Laurent round frame. The Mr P. woven belt in brown is a better bet for summer than a croc-effect leather one. What I would skip is Canali's red wool baseball cap on a hot day, since it is a winter hat in a summer color.

Andelman's idea from Colette, carrying brands in exclusivity or first, only works if the shop has taste. The best thing about this edit is that nothing in it is random. Kardo names its artisans, Bleu de Chauffe signs its bags, Inis Meáin knits on one island, and Mr P. exists because a retailer wanted to make its own clothes. If you are buying from it, I would go in order of how long the piece will last. Start with the outer layer or a knit that will survive years, then trousers, then the loafers or boat shoes, and finish with the bag. Add small things later, in whatever order your weekends demand. The test I use for any retailer-specific piece is simple: would I still want it if it were on every shelf. If the answer is yes, because the cut and the maker are good, it was not an exclusive by accident. That is the standard Colette set, and it is still a good one to shop by.

The strongest argument for a shop with a point of view is that its extras still hang together, and this shelf shows it. Linen runs through most of it. The Drake's camp-collar linen shirt and the Orlebar Brown Burnham linen-blend polo are the easy summer pieces, and the Mr P. wool, silk and linen overshirt and linen-twill Harrington jacket cover the outer layer. For trousers, I would compare the Canali wool and linen-blend suit trousers with the Kaptain Sunshine tapered pair and the Frescobol Carioca Affonso pleated pair. Inis Meáin brings a merino and linen cardigan, FRAME a striped sweater, Boglioli a plain tee, and Frescobol Carioca the Vela suede slip-ons. What I would skip: the Canali beanie in July, since wool and cashmere belong to the cold months.