Massimo Dutti’s 9 sleekest autumn investment buys, from £50 – the pieces we’d wear forever

I’m starting to lose count of the number of times I’ve replied, “Thank you – they’re Massimo,” after someone's complimented my adored new red suede ballet pumps.

Then there’s the navy satin shirt I bought from Massimo’s autumn collection last month for the princely sum of £60. It’s low-key elegant, made from viscose rather than polyester, and now my default when I want to look polished without looking too try-hard.

Massimo is, of course, not a person, though I talk about him as if he is. In my head, he’s a discreetly wealthy Italian, on first-name terms with Miuccia Prada, with an uncanny understanding of what women want to wear to look chic and modern.

But in reality, I'm just going to say it, right now Massimo Dutti is the best high-end high-street store around. Yes, it was once a little old-fashioned, but over the last six months, it has become the secret weapon of stylish women who like designer clothes but can’t – or don’t see the point of – paying designer prices. Right now, that’s a lot of us.

For a not ridiculously priced, well-made wardrobe update - a great trouser, a spot on blazer, a chic knit or ballet cardigan - and all with the look of a designer basic, you want a piece of Massimo. A handbag might cost £200, but it is leather rather than £40 plastic. A pair of cords might be £70, but the cut is right and they won’t lose their lustre after three wears. This is not bargain fashion. It is the much more satisfying business of buying fewer, better things.

And if you ever find yourself looking at a woman with an elegant yet squishy leather bag over her shoulder and wondering if it’s Prada, shhh. It’s probably Massimo’s “Slouch” bag, which comes in two sizes.

Once you become a devotee, you can name-drop “Massimo” too. Though sadly, there never was a real Massimo Dutti. The brand was actually founded as a menswear collection in Barcelona in 1985 by businessman Armando Lasauca who sold it to Zara’s parent company in the 1990s.

If you’ve been ignoring your local Massimo store, or rarely check the website, start now. You won't be disapointed. One well-chosen Massimo piece, like my red suede ballet pumps (now sold out) will sharpen the rest of your wardrobe and stay in rotation for years. You’ll look chic as hell, too.

Here are the nine Massimo Dutti pieces I would buy in a heartbeat