I am suspicious of most origin stories, but this one won me over because it begins with a dinner and a complaint. Sarah Miller and Jessie Gargan were work friends first (Gargan hired Miller as a Christmas casual at Sportsgirl), and over that dinner they decided to make the well-made leather bag they wanted. Nakedvice was born in 2014, and the two of them even booked a trip to Bali to hunt for a supplier.

What I find charming is that the bag instinct never left. The clothes are designed in Melbourne, they take months to get right, and the label would rather release small drops than flood the room. Miller and Gargan still own the business themselves, and you can feel it in the pieces: clean lines, familiar shapes, things meant to be worn on a Tuesday.

Jackets are where Nakedvice makes the most sense to me. The Torey Jacket and the Anika Jacket are the quiet, sensible starting points, the Rohan Bomber Jacket is the relaxed one, and The Isla Coat is the one I keep circling back to when I want something longer that makes a plain outfit look decided. The Rori Denim Jacket adds a little texture, and The Zephyr Jacket and The Hayes Jacket sit comfortably in between.

In my fashion dreams, she leaves the office in The Isla Coat over a tee and jeans, and has the sleeves pushed up by dinner. If you can only bring home one, think about the length of the jackets you already reach for. Proportion will do more for you than another color. What I would skip: a third jacket in a shade you already own. I went deeper on a related idea in Closet Essentials: Tees, Jeans and Jackets Worth Repeating. I went deeper on a related idea in Dress Brands: The Wrap, the Print and the Ones Worth Knowing.

These four are the quiet workers of the edit. The Watson Short Sleeve Shirt has a borrowed-from-the-boys ease, and the Lynch Top is the easy base I would put under denim without thinking. The Tulsa Slinky Turtleneck Top is the one that makes trousers look sharper than they have any right to, and the Apollo Top is the calm counterpoint on days when the jacket is doing all the talking.

I would start with the neckline you reach for most, then decide whether you want a tuck, a clean hem or a layer underneath. That tiny choice is what turns a top into a weekday staple or a dinner piece.

Shorts are tricky for me. Too sporty and they belong at the gym, too polished and they stop being relaxed. The Billie Short in dark indigo and The Elliot Short in chocolate sit right in the middle, while The Jude Short in honey and The Julia Short in merlot feel like actual dressing rather than gymwear.

For a weekend lunch I would take a darker pair with a fine knit and flat sandals. Keep the top tonal for a long line, or add a white tee when you want the shorts to relax. Check the hem against the shoes you will really wear, because that is where the proportion is won or lost.

The last stop brings the original idea back, which I find rather sweet. Chadwick Jeans are the denim anchor, the Ravia Pant gives you another long line to build on, and the Baldwin Tote is the carryall for days with a laptop, a water bottle and somewhere else to be. A reliable bottom, one useful bag and a jacket that can shift the mood is my kind of edit.

If you already own a favorite bag, hold it up against what you actually carry before buying a second one. The clothes are easier to wear once the practical stuff is settled.

What I like about Nakedvice is how much the founders kept the original problem in view. A bag should be handsome and useful, a jacket should earn its place beside things already in the closet, and nothing needs to be locked to one season. Miller and Gargan started from a gap they felt themselves, and their Melbourne collections still carry that practical streak. I would begin with the category you reach for first and let the rest fill in around it. Although I suspect the tote will end up being the thing you use most.