“We were a society dying of too much choice,” so said Aunt Lydia, one of the main antagonists of The Handmaid’s Tale, Ms Margaret Atwood’s seminal dystopian novel that’s now taken Hulu by storm. The character might have been talking about serious anthropological matters, but if the book was set in 2019, she may as well have been referring to clothes and shoes. A privileged quandary to find oneself in, to be sure, but a surplus of clothes and the access that we have to these articles today means that while there are more choices to be made, they’re also harder to decide upon. Who, nowadays, is a reliable designer to invest in? Who toes the line between stylish clothes that don’t look as though they have been made for the express purpose of Instagramming them, but also makes truly interesting clothes?

Well, Mr Dries Van Noten, of course. The Belgian designer has built a reputation on making “clever” clothing – that is, his clothes are favoured by cerebral types such as architects and art collectors, but are also worn by everyone from Radiohead’s Mr Thom Yorke to Rihanna. For a uniform of clothing you know will look good, there are few designers who are a safer bet than Mr Van Noten.

We’re happy, then, that a fresh crop of new-season threads from the label has just landed on MR PORTER, including boxy T-shirts, corduroy trousers and a pair of gleaming lug sole ankle boots. Tie-dye prints may not be the easiest things to wear well, but on Mr Van Noten’s shirts they’re surprisingly elegant (although, if you’re truly print-averse, the minimalist grey sweatshirt is a subtle but equally stylish option). A rare thing for fashion: a brand in which every choice is the right one.