This spring/summer, for the first time ever, I did not buy any clothes. When I say no clothes, I did get some white trousers and a shirt, and a Mulberry Poppy bag (ahem), but under normal circumstances this would have been just the icing on the cake of a serious wardrobe refurbishment.

However, this year felt different, and I know I’m not the only one who went for recycling over loading up at Primark. It’s partly the diving economy, partly heightened environmental awareness, partly that I already had cropped trousers that could just about pass for the new 7/8 length. Either way, a lot of us are in the mood to buy fewer but better-quality clothes that work hard for the money — and for that you need the autumn/winter ranges. Why? Because if you’re going to buy less, then you want it to be glove-soft leather, lined wool tailoring and buttery cashmere — the stuff that really delivers. This is the future, and it’s called credit-crunch dressing.

Just to be clear, CC dressing is not the same as investment shopping (although the pieces should last). The building blocks featured here are all from the high street, but specifically those labels that stake their reputation on quality and cut, rather than rapid-turnover trends, so you won’t find every high-street shop featured, or all the trends — only the ones that qualify as CC-worthy. The key to CC shopping is getting the maximum return on your money, which means choosing pieces that are the best value in terms of quality (we want these clothes to last for more than a couple of washes), versatility (we don’t want to have to buy another three pieces just to make one work) and updating your look (you need to be able to get a lot of wear out of them, so simplicity and subtlety pay — you can take on more extreme trends once you have the basics sorted).

The good news is that this season is jam-packed with wearable, classic, grown-up clothes, so it’s just a question of finding the ones that tick all the right boxes.

Gap

The credit-crunch shopper’s dream, Gap is built on subtly adapting classics to suit the season. Plus, the clothes are well made and great value.

What to buy Its new take on the double-breasted coat (Above, £108) makes civilians feel like they have the kind of style that requires only the addition of sunglasses and it looks and feels Jil Sander expensive. They also do a good blazer (£58), if you can’t afford YSL or Stella McCartney. The oversized knit is also key this season, and it’s hard to improve on Gap’s cashmere boyfriend cardigan (£79). Dark fuchsia is a big colour for autumn — Gap has a simple dress (£45) that will look cute under an oversized sweater.

Instant update The 7/8 trousers (£35). New, easy, slim and surprisingly flattering, these work with heels, boots or flats.

Topshop

Lately Topshop has been swamped by tiny floral dresses, but this season it’s back with sharp tailoring and an entire collection of tuxedos (£65). The edgy tux is the best CC investment of the season. Worn over skinny pants or flares, the tux, with or without a frothy romantic blouse, covers all the options — goth, rock chick and masculine.

What to buy From the Unique collection, the softest leather skinny trousers (£120), worn with a slouchy blazer, tux or big knit. If you are looking for a skirt, Topshop has an almost-dirndl in tomato red (the dirndl is part of the new wave of curvy tailoring, but it’s the colour that counts). Plus, there are more of those gorgeous Celia Birtwell-print chiffon tops (£45) and dresses — vintage on a shoestring, and chiffon worn with knits is big for autumn.

Instant update The leather skinny pants, plus tuxedo (wear your tux in the day, not just at night). Also the Mongolian-lamb bomber jacket: a big, puffy coat over a skinny silhouette is a short route to updating your look.

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