Monochrome seems like a challenge but it is actually a shortcut. You pick a colour and everything matches. No debate about whether navy goes with black, no standing in front of the mirror wondering if the top and bottom are the same shade of grey. One colour, head to toe, means you get dressed faster and you photograph more clearly. The only rule is to vary the textures and the depths so you do not look flat. A black silk cami under a black cotton dress is more interesting than two pieces of the same black. A white linen top with white tailored pants reads deeper than all one fabric. Pick a colour you actually like wearing, because you are going to be wearing all of it.

Cult Gaia has multiple options in both black and off-white: the Delainey gown in black is the evening version, and the Rocca in off-white is a slightly less formal dress. Tony Bianco's Daisy in black and St. Agni's Jordan button-up in black are both day dresses in the same colour. If you want to work in black, start with one of these, then you can build the separates around it. All of these are defined by their cut and fabric, not by the colour, so they work as the base for a monochrome outfit without looking costume-y.

Cult Gaia's Venezia top in off-white, Khaite's Somera pant in black, Frankies Bikinis' Atlas knit mini skirt in black, or Khaite's Wanda tee in white are all in solid colours but different fabrics. A knit top with a silk cami underneath. A cotton dress over a silk slip. A linen shirt with cotton trousers. The variety in texture is what keeps monochrome from looking flat. For shoes, follow the same logic. Khaite's Miriam ballerina, Cult Gaia's Ria sandal, ALOHAS' Juniper sandal, or Tony Bianco's Torres. All exist in the same colour family as the outfits above, but in different materials: leather, patent, suede, gloss. One colour is actually about playing with texture, not ignoring it.

Monochrome gets easier the more you do it, because you stop worrying about match and start thinking about composition. Black is easiest because everything reads formal. Off-white is trickier because cream and white read differently depending on the light. Build your outfit by starting with one dress or top that you like, then find other pieces in the same colour that work as separates. Cult Gaia offers both dress and separates in the same shades, so you can layer or mix. If you take one thing away, it is that one colour is not a limitation, it is a way to think about texture and shape without the distraction of competing colours.