Autumn Outfit #8: A neutral monochrome look

I’ve found myself wearing a lot of head-to-toe monochrome looks of late. Effortless and put together are usually what comes to mind when I think of a monochrome outfit. And I’m sure you’ve heard me mention this styling trick before – it’s always been a quick and easy fallback when I don’t know what to wear. And I suppose now that I’ve got a bit less time to build my outfit in the morning, what I’ve been relying on when I need to get ready in a pinch.

Wearing JW Anderson X Uniqlo sweater; Everlane skinny jeans; The Curated graduate coat*; Golden Goose sneakers (also here); The Curated shoulder bag*; Laura Lombardi earrings; Mejuri necklace & bracelets; Muru Jewellery sun necklace; Rosefield watch

I thought I’d run through the details of this outfit as there are a few new pieces that I’ve been getting questions about. Let’s start with the hero of the look: the graduate coat from The Curated. This feels completely different to their classic coat I wore a lot last year. The textile is royal cashmere blended with Australian merino wool, and it has a soft, silky finish. Luxurious is the thought that instantly came to mind when I unwrapped this from the box. I went with the cream, which you may be able to tell from above pulls quite pink. Initially I was a little worried this might be a bit difficult to style; the undertone is relatively cool, so I find it works especially well when paired like for like. I’ve opted mainly to wear this with lighter, neutral toned colours, but I could see it looking good with muted greys, or a simple white shirt and black trouser combo for work. Size-wise, I’m wearing the S, which is a good relaxed fit on me. Like the classic coat, there aren’t belt loops attached so you will need to have a little safe spot for the belt if you’re planning to bundle up.

The sweater was somewhat of an impulse buy… at least by my standards. JW Anderson is one of those designers I’ve always admired, though realistically the majority of his collection is out of my price range. I’d had it on my list to eventually buy something from one of his ongoing collaborations with Uniqlo, and clearly, knitwear is a weakness of mine. I absolutely love the design. I’m wearing the men’s sweater above, and it’s really the detailing around the collar, hem, and cuffs of the sweater which sold me. That and the classic oatmeal hue. I went with a size S for reference. At the time I placed my order, I was under the impression it was 100% wool – looking at it later, I realised that there is a synthetic component to it. If you know me well, you’ll know that’s typically something I try to avoid. That said, it still feels like wool, and so far I haven’t noticed any pilling (I’ve worn it three times now). Curious to see how it fares when I launder it though…

Lastly I wanted to talk about the bag from The Curated; another piece which has drawn a lot of questions over on my Instagram and YouTube channel. Mock croc has to be up there as one of my favourite textures. It’s rich with depth, and to me, elevates a simply designer leather bag. What drew me to this was not just the mock croc leather, but that it was paired with my favourite hue for the season ahead; nude. The quality is beautiful; super thick leather with a gloss to the exterior, and fully leather lined on the interior. There’s one large compartment inside, along with a zip-up pocket at the back, and a smaller ‘slip’-style compartment at the front. It also comes with two strap options, so you can wear it like a short shoulder bag as I’m doing so above, or cross body if that’s your preference. One thing to note? Because it’s a full leather bag, it is heavy. This to me is a reflection of the quality, but it is worth noting if that’s a concern for you.

I finished off the outfit with some mid-rise skinny jeans, and a pair of sneakers (of which I’m finally almost ready to touch on in my “best basics” series!). Would love to know what your go-to formula is when you’re getting dressed in a rush! X