I truly believe that the most stylish of outfits can be put together using just your basics. They are the staples of your All Black Everything wardrobe that can be interchanged to create endless looks throughout the year.
The starting point for putting together an All Black wardrobe is to look at your daily life; what do you need to get you through a busy week in the most stylish way possible?
For me, it has to take me effortlessly from the studio to the bar, with a dog walk and a gym class in between (a girl’s got to earn those proseccos, and sitting around drawing all day does not earn me a Fizzy Friday).
My basic black wardrobe is made up of the following:
A pair (or two) of well-fitting jeans, my go to pair are the Topshop Joni Jeans for a slimline silhouette, a selection of t-shirts varying in necklines, my preference is a crewneck like the Saint and Sofia easy tee. A leather jacket is a year round staple for me, I’ve had my Topshop leather biker jacket for close to 5 years, and the more worn it gets the more I love it. A pair of stylish trainers (not to be confused with your gym/running trainers) like the Saint and Sofia ‘Hampstead’ Trainers for those all essential coffee runs. Ankle boots (even in the summer you’ll find me in boots), the Grenson ‘Nanettes’ aren’t only super practical, their hiking boot details and chunky sole make them a real statement piece. Sandals (for the occasional heatwave), I love the ease of a pair of sliders and these Anine Bing ‘Carson’ Slides tick all of the right boxes.
A handbag (one crossbody, the Saint and Sofia ‘Saffiano’ holds all of my essentials, and one more substantial in size to carry items like my iPad Pro). No outfit is complete without a pair of sunnies (because squinting gives you wrinkles) the Ray-Ban Wayfarers are an absolute classic, and a piece of knitwear, my personal style sees me reaching for a sweatshirt more often than not and the lengthened fit of Saint and Sofia’s Organic Cotton Sweater is a win for me.
No All Black Everything wardrobe is complete without a little black go-to number. It will be the piece you wear when you want to make a statement, worn to all of your most special occasions, and will be there for you when you’re having a pre-date night ‘I have nothing to wear’ meltdown. LBD, I don’t know what I’d do without you.
Check out my latest YouTube video to find out which LBD I cant live without.
Once you’ve got your basics sorted, it’s easy to see how your All Black wardrobe can take over and become your only wardrobe.
Get ready to swiftly become that person who always asks the sales assistant, ‘Do you have this in black?’, and watch as online shopping becomes so much easier. No longer will you find yourself trawling through the ‘new in’ section or scrolling the sale items, just tick the box for the only colour that matters and ta-da, the items you really care about magically appear. And best of all, no more sorting through laundry baskets or worrying that a pesky red sock will end up with the whites, leaving you with a far from desirable rosé pink wardrobe!
And that, my friends, is how black becomes the only colour in your wardrobe.
If you enjoyed this blog post you’ll love my book, All Black Everything. You can also find more fashion and illustration content over on my instagram.
