Smooth like butter

Nappa Dori (Covent Garden)

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Shop

Unusually for a clothes shop, it was the sweet aroma of cardamom that brought me through the doors of the Nappa Dori flagship store in Covent Garden recently. Following my nose, I found a small cafe serving up fragrant chai and coffee next to the till. The cafe element somehow manages to make the shopping experience much more relaxed.

I found the shop as thoughtful as the chai. The menswear selection is luxe but not overstated, blending traditional Indian design with contemporary concepts — precision tailoring, premium materials, and a restrained, confident aesthetic, somewhere between classic workwear and stylish alternatives for those times where you don’t want to wear a suit. This is the kind of wardrobe that ages really well. I particularly like the twill overshirts and the Chester merino wool jacket, perfect for late summer evenings.

If there’s one thing that separates the well-traveled from the merely mobile, it’s tasteful luggage, and Nappa Dori understands this. They have capsule collections for every kind of trip: I love their Brief Encounter meets Wes Anderson, small Steamer Cabin suitcases, perfect for a weekend away. Nappa Dori specialises in buttery-soft, full-grain leather, the kind I imagine ages into something even better than when you first bought it. –Amy Rose Holland

→ Shop: Nappa Dori (Covent Garden) • 15 Monmouth St • Mon-Sat 11a-7p, Sun 11a-6p.