Oroton vs Scanlan Theodore vs Carla Zampatti: Which Australian House to Buy

Three Australian houses, three different ideas of what a working wardrobe looks like, and on Luxury Handbags three price bands that sit almost on top of each other. Oroton is the leather house that learned to make clothes. Carla Zampatti is the tailor. Scanlan Theodore is the knit. Here is how to choose, with the prices as they stand on Luxury Handbags this week.

The three houses

Oroton

Founded in Sydney in 1938 by Boyd Lane, famous for leather and metal mesh bags, and making ready-to-wear since 2019 under creative director Sophie Holt. The clothing is a poplin shirt, a barrel leg trouser, a sheath dress and a belted zip-through dress in a palette of Antique White, navy and one strong colour a season. Typical clothing price on Luxury Handbags $607, with 939 pieces on the Oroton page including the bags.

Carla Zampatti

Founded in Sydney in 1965 by the Italian-born designer Carla Zampatti, who ran the company until her death in 2021. The label built a chain of boutiques across Australia and dressed the country’s public life for five decades. It is the strongest of the three on tailoring, colour and occasion dressing, with capes, sequins and structured dresses. Typical price on Luxury Handbags $576, across 333 pieces on the Carla Zampatti page.

Scanlan Theodore

The Melbourne house, founded in 1987 by Fiona Scanlan and Gary Theodore, known above all for its Crepe Knit: a heavy, sculpted knit used for dresses, skirts and tops that hold a shape without a lining. The range is the most modern of the three, and the widest in price, from $320 to $1,080 for the middle of its range. Typical price on Luxury Handbags $590, across 354 pieces on the Scanlan Theodore page.

Price, side by side

Oroton’s figures are for clothing; the bags run higher, with a typical price of $786.

Choose Oroton if

You want a wardrobe rather than pieces. The shapes repeat, the colours are chosen to go together, and the shirt you buy this season will match the trouser you buy next. Start with the Jet Pocket Shirt at $520 and the Tailored Barrel Leg Trousers at $880. It is also the one to choose if you want the bag to match, since it is the only house of the three that makes them. Read our Spring 2026 edit.

Choose Carla Zampatti if

You dress for a room. The tailoring is sharper, the colour is braver and the occasion range is the deepest of the three. If the brief is a speech, a wedding as mother of the bride, a boardroom, this is the house.

Choose Scanlan Theodore if

You want the softest line and the most modern silhouette. The Crepe Knit dresses and skirts travel without creasing, need no lining and suit a body that likes to be skimmed rather than tailored. It is also the house with the most choice under $320.

Sizing across the three

All three cut on Australian sizing, which reads the same as UK sizing, so a UK 10 holds across the houses. Oroton is the only one that prints garment measurements for every size on every page; we reproduce them in the Oroton size guide. Luxury Handbags verifies every piece from all three, ships worldwide, and takes returns within 14 days under Returns 101. For Oroton’s bag alternatives, see brands like Oroton.

Frequently asked questions

Which is more expensive, Oroton, Scanlan Theodore and Carla Zampatti?

On Luxury Handbags the three sit within a few dollars of each other on clothing. Oroton’s typical clothing price is $607, Scanlan Theodore’s is $590 and Carla Zampatti’s is $576. Scanlan Theodore has the widest spread, from $320 to $1,080 for the middle 80 percent of its range.

Which brand is best for workwear?

Oroton, for a wardrobe of shirts, barrel leg trousers and shirt dresses that repeat season to season. Carla Zampatti if you want sharper tailoring and colour for the boardroom. Scanlan Theodore if your office dress code allows knit dressing and a softer line.

Which brand is best for events?

Carla Zampatti has the deepest occasion range, with gowns, capes and sequins, and a long record of dressing Australian public life. Oroton has two Mikado gowns and the silk sheath dresses this season. Scanlan Theodore’s Crepe Knit dresses are the quiet-luxury option for a wedding guest.

Which has the largest range on Luxury Shoes ?

Oroton, with 939 pieces including bags. On clothing alone the three are close: Oroton around 585, Scanlan Theodore 354 and Carla Zampatti 333.

Are all three Australian?

Yes. Oroton was founded in Sydney in 1938, Carla Zampatti in Sydney in 1965, and Scanlan Theodore in Melbourne in 1987 by Fiona Scanlan and Gary Theodore. All three still design in Australia, and Luxury Handbags ships all three worldwide.

Which runs true to size?

Oroton states fits true to size on almost every product page and publishes garment measurements for each size. Carla Zampatti and Scanlan Theodore both cut on Australian sizing too, so your UK size holds across all three; check each product page for the individual fit note.