Brands Like Scanlan Theodore: Five Labels for the Same Wardrobe

Scanlan Theodore is a Melbourne house that makes polished workwear around one fabric, Crepe Knit, and it sits in a small group of labels that dress the same woman. Whether you already own the jacket and want the rest of the wardrobe, and whether you are choosing between it and another Australian name, these are the five brands Luxury Handbags customers cross-shop most, and what each one does differently.

1. Christopher Esber

Sydney, sculptural, evening-led. Where Scanlan Theodore builds the day, Christopher Esber builds the night: cut-out dresses, draped jersey, hardware at the hip. The customer overlaps on price and on the desire for clean lines. Buy Esber for the event and Scanlan Theodore for the week that leads up to it.

2. Carla Zampatti

The older Australian tailoring house, founded in Sydney in 1965. Carla Zampatti is the closest match on purpose, both labels dress women with a public job, but Zampatti leans to structured jackets and occasion dresses in wovens, while Scanlan Theodore does the same job in knit. If you like a sharper shoulder, Zampatti. If you fly for work, Scanlan Theodore.

3. Toteme

Stockholm minimalism at a similar price point. Toteme is quieter than Scanlan Theodore, with less colour and no motif, and its strength is outerwear and wide-leg trousers rather than knit tailoring. Wear a Toteme coat over a Crepe Knit suit and nobody will object.

4. Bassike

Sydney, organic cotton, the off-duty wardrobe. Bassike is what the Scanlan Theodore customer wears on Saturday: jersey tees, relaxed denim, linen. It is the lower-priced complement, not a substitute.

5. Camilla and Marc

Also Sydney, with a broader range that runs from tailoring to resort dresses. Camilla and Marc is the option if you want the Australian polish with more print and a softer silhouette. Its blazers are the point of comparison with Scanlan Theodore’s Crepe Knit jackets.

How Scanlan Theodore differs

Three things set it apart. The fabric: Crepe Knit is exclusive to the house and nobody else in this group has a signature cloth. The founder: Gary Theodore has run design since 1987, so the line has not been rebooted by a new creative director. And the fit promise: the brand’s own notes say true to size across the collection, in AU sizing that reads the same as UK, with the denim cargo cuts the only place it tells you to size down. Read more in who is Scanlan Theodore, and go straight to the collection at Luxury Shoes .

Read next: is Scanlan Theodore worth it, the sale and outlet guide and where to buy Scanlan Theodore.

Frequently asked questions

What brands are similar to Scanlan Theodore?

Christopher Esber, Carla Zampatti, Toteme, Bassike and Camilla and Marc. Esber and Zampatti are the closest on occasion, Toteme on minimalism, Bassike and Camilla and Marc on the everyday Australian wardrobe.

Is Scanlan Theodore more expensive than Carla Zampatti?

They overlap. Both sit in the AUD 300 to 3,500 range for ready-to-wear, with Scanlan Theodore’s Crepe Knit jackets and Zampatti’s structured jackets at similar prices.

Which is better for work, Toteme and Scanlan Theodore compared?

Scanlan Theodore, if the job involves travel and a full day in one outfit. Toteme is stronger for outerwear and trousers, Scanlan Theodore for the tailored knit suit.