What I learnt after ditching colour for a monochromatic capsule wardrobe

“If, like me, you feel your best in colour, then forgoing it entirely (even for a week) isn’t the most exciting proposition.”

When I was nine, I went through an obnoxious phase where I wore only purple (or some variation, like lilac) for a solid year. There was one particular outfit, consisting of crocodile print flared pants, a long sleeve top with a huge sparkly flower splashed across the front and chunky slip-on sneakers – all in a shade of purple, naturally – that neatly sums up two elements of fashion I still adore: colour and eclectic prints and patterns.

But the older I become and the busier I get, the more appealing the idea of a uniform-like aesthetic is. In the fashion industry, this is what we’d call a ‘capsule wardrobe’. A wardrobe comprised of hard-working, multi-functional items that form the backbone of your everyday outfits.

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So when it came time to figure out what I’d wear to this year’s PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival, I decided to forgo the ‘fun’ element of my style and challenge myself: for the entirety of the Festival I would wear a monochromatic capsule wardrobe.

I have to admit, I was a little wary. If, like me, you feel your best in colour, then forgoing it entirely (even for a week) isn’t the most exciting proposition. But being the intrepid investigative journalist that I am – if you consider reviewing clit sucking vibrators intrepid journalism – I was up for the challenge.

When you’re going monochromatic, a key consideration to keep in mind is the quality and style of the garments. Where colour and pattern can hide all manner of sartorial sins, like an item being ill-fitting or poorly cut, when there’s nothing to look at but the garment itself, the fit and quality of it really matters. I knew I needed a brand that prioritised these elements, and thankfully capsule wardrobes are having a bit of a moment right now, something that made my search for the right one a lot easier.

Our collective interest in whittling down our wardrobes and approaching fashion in a more considered way has seen rental businesses like Rentr. launch capsule wardrobes, where you can hire a cohesive selection of pieces from brands like Scanlan Theodore and Camilla & Marc. At the higher end of the spectrum is the Christina Centenera-founded label Wardrobe NYC, which offers four- and eight-piece capsule wardrobes.

After some light online shopping disguised as research, I was pleased to find that sustainably-minded Melbourne label Arnsdorf is now offering its own eight-piece capsule wardrobe. Described as “a contemporary edit of eight key Arnsdorf pieces”, the capsule is functional but sleek. I’m fond of a suit for work-related events, which the capsule includes, but what really sold me was the Claire Tee. It has a particularly interesting curved neckline, and I felt it would provide the injection of ‘fun’ I anticipated I’d be missing.

I wore the first outfit I pulled together from the capsule – the Suit Trouser and the Claire Tee – to the Festival’s launch. At first it felt a little boring being head-to-toe in black, but the enthusiastic response the outfit received (we simply love a compliment) and how perfectly everything fit had me changing my tune pretty quickly.

Next on my Festival to-do list was being interviewed on a live stage that weekend as part of our How I Got Here series. I was mildly terrified – a live audience tends to have that effect on me – but knew that a blazer, singlet and tailored pants would be the obvious choice for this occasion.

It’s true what they say about power suits; you really do feel bloody powerful in them. And once I remembered I could inject colour via eye makeup and accessories, I became very comfortable with my all-black array of clothes. Getting dressed, something that has previously been an exercise in pure stress, became almost blissful. ‘What will I wear tonight?’ I thought to myself before each runway or engagement that week, and the answer would present itself within a matter of seconds: ‘Of course, the wide-leg pants and high-neck singlet’.

At the Independent Runway, I layered a vintage boob tube over the Classic Shirt, which turned out to be one of my favourite looks. The exaggerated cuffs elevated the outfit and had me feeling like 2022’s answer to Katherine Hepburn. Truthfully, by the end of the week, I missed colour and patterns a little, but nowhere near as much as I thought I would. Having such strong wardrobe basics made getting dressed one of the least stressful activities that week – and during a fashion week/Festival, this is usually not the case.

My key takeaways? Having a capsule wardrobe would make me much less likely to throw money at one-off flashy trend pieces (I’m guilty of falling victim to one too many avant-basic moments). It encouraged me to shop my wardrobe, mixing up the Arnsdorf pieces with vintage accessories and it reminded me how much the fit of your clothing really, really matters.

Each Arnsdorf item is tailored to perfection and drapes my body in the exact way I’ve always wanted my clothing to. I still love vibrant colours and garish patterns – and I never fully left behind my purple phase – but adopting a work-related capsule wardrobe is becoming an increasingly attractive idea. My savings account and time management skills would surely be much better off for it.

This article was originally published on June 15, 2022.

You can shop Arsndorf’s capsule wardrobe here.