This season, grown-ups are putting their office and evening wear at the top of the class. Clean, crisp, classic and oh-so-chic, monochrome is back with a vengeance, acting as a sophisticated palette cleanser from the busy floral, tribal and colourful trends that have been dominating the catwalks all summer. Pattern play, geometric purism, futuristic detailing and intelligent design all come into play in this mod uniform style story.

Tom Ford’s latest collection perfectly embodied the black and white trend, with laced-up tunic dresses, Peter Pan collars and a slick procession of spray-on pencil skirts, perfect for bringing a sexy secretary feel to office wear. The animal prints that have become a Ford calling card became subtle accents, though personally I prefer to keep the monochrome ensemble pure, only adding some oomph with bold silver accessories, or Perspex if you want to add a Rodarte-worthy futuristic feel.
Achromatic aficionados know that interest can be added to monochrome by playing with texture and silhouette, so combine lace dresses with woollen coats when wrapping up, leather skinnies with sheer blouses or oversized boyfriend blazers. For those who dare to go big when it comes to fashion, maximalism is back with a bang, so look for duster coats and large, masculine-cut tuxedo jackets.
Futuristic touches always add an air of interest, so look for high, rounded collars, caged detailing and metallic separates. The “ugly shoe” is having a moment, and the clunky heels, large straps and super-high platforms nicely play into this season’s stark alien-like white fashions. Geometric patterns add a mathematical purism to monochrome pieces, so look for bold, sharp patterns and play around with asymmetric hemlines. Christopher Kane beautifully demonstrated the geometric trend, where intricate, origami-style folds feature on dresses to striking effect. Roksanda Ilincic and Jonathan Saunders also championed this trend, which can be easily evoked in slick monochromatic body-con dresses and bold statement jewellery. The look is definitely one of sixties simplicity rather than Helmut Lang’s complex sensual sadomasochistic-inspired fashions, so steer clear of multiple straps and harnesses and look out for simple, short cuts where superb tailoring is King.
Though you can throw in some bright block colours to enliven this look, we like leaving a monochromatic ensemble simple and stark. After all, it’s still the summer holidays – let your outfit do all the work for you!