Fashion insiders love a secret. A secret hairdresser that does highlights so perfectly your hair looks like a constant shining halo. A secret beauty therapist that threads your eyebrows into a beguiling razor-sharp arch. A secret tinted moisturiser that looks like you’ve just come back from a weekend in St. Tropez. A secret fashion brand that continually delivers chic and expensive looking wardrobe staples with minimal branding and without the hefty designer price tag.

Last year, the lid was blown on of the industry’s best kept secrets: Frankie Shop. I first heard about Frankie Shop during Paris Fashion Week a few seasons ago, when I asked another show-goer where her perfectly oversized trench coat was from. In a whispered voice she said, “Frankie Shop, it’s actually just around the corner from here and it’s amazing.” At first I wondered who Frankie was? Some mysterious Parisian seller delivering unbelievably chic pieces, and I was kind of right. Upon entering actual Frankie’s shop I knew i had stumbled on to the secret. 

Delivering timeless pieces but with a directional fashion edge at prices that didn’t make me immediately exit, it was clear to see why Frankie Shop – who only have stores in New York and Paris – was the go-to spot for those in the know. 

Since then, Frankie Shop’s popularity has risen and risen with big retailers such as Selfridges, Net-a-Porter and now Browns stocking their collections. However, amongst all the minimal-styled pieces, there has been one piece that has garnered so much attention that it has reached iconic status in its own right: the Eva padded muscle T-shirt. 

A constant sell-out, this padded T-shirt still holds the brand’s pared-back aesthetic but with a striking silhouette. In essence it’s a sleeveless muscle T-shirt with padded shoulder straight out of the 80s and we are into it. (So is every fashion influencer from Camille Charriere, who just teamed up with the brand to launch a charity version, to Pernille Teisbaek, Tiffany Hsu and countless more). 

So how do you wear a padded muscle T-shirt, when the closes you have come to exaggerated shoulders is trying on your mum’s old blazer? It’s actually easier than you think. For those lucky fashion editors who have managed to bag the Eva top, they have been wearing it tucked into high-waisted denim for the ultimate throwback look or paired with wide leg tailored trousers for a relaxed take on formalwear. 

We’ve rounded up the best high street versions as well as that iconic T-shirt to shop now. 

Images: Courtesy of brands / Frankie Shop / Instagram