My mom and I chat a lot about style. We subscribe to the same mags, and like to compare notes on the trends we see therein and brainstorm how they might work for us as individuals. We were talking the other day about how it's no longer expected - or even, really, acceptable in certain circles - to match your shoes to your belt to your handbag. I was lamenting the fact that I'd grown up thinking I needed to match everything and was still adjusting to these new, looser "rules."
"Yeah," my mom said, "but it's so much more INTERESTING this way."
I, of course, had been busy lamenting my scads of brown and black shoes, purses, and belts that were now mateless, and hadn't even stopped to consider this perspective. But it's true: Living in a world where you can wear a pair of heels with just about any complimentary belt or bag is far more visually appealing than a world where matchy-matchy is the rule. Challenging, certainly, but rife with possibility.
And that got me thinking about this past poll, and I wanted to revisit it, with a twist.
1. Do you feel like you SHOULD NOT match your shoes to your belt? Belt to purse? All three? Do you feel like such matching is currently frowned-upon?
2. If so, do you find that to be overwhelming or liberating?
3. If not - if you prefer to align your accessories - how often do you venture outside of matching, if ever?
May 20, 2009
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40 comments:
i really have never been a girl that matches everything. on the contrary, i was always really mixed, especially during my teenage-years when i was living in a small town with basically no shopping opportunities and my interest in style and fashion hadn't awakened yet. now, i feel that it might be nice to match shoes, belt and bag, but i find it very hard to do so. thus, i try every now and then to match at least two of them, but then most of the time i feel that it is almost impossible for me. i guess my collections of handbags and belts are just not big enogh yet =) so yes, i think it is very nice that i do not have to match everything to be a little elegant..
I've never really loved matching my shoes to my purse. I have so many different colored purses -- I prefer for my purse to either sort of match my outfit, or just complement it in some way. I don't wear belts often, but if I do, they're colored too -- not brown, black or neutral.
I try not to match up my belt or purse with my shoes, but sometimes it just makes sense. Espeicially if you are wearing a print with a lot of colors or a very strong print. You might need to tone it down with the same color belt, shoes or bag.
just recently I got less matchy matchy and it is liberating! Ino longer worry about matching belt shoes and bag-as long as it is complementary or in the same family of blacks or browns I am fine!
1. Do you feel like you SHOULD NOT match your shoes to your belt? Belt to purse? All three? Do you feel like such matching is currently frowned-upon?
I never even considered that I was supposed to match them until well about a week ago. I got a purse that matched shoes and thought huh I never considered that. Saying that though I wouldn't ever wear a brown belt with black shoes so maybe in a way I did think about it.
2. If so, do you find that to be overwhelming or liberating?
I think its fun to match but only because it wasn't ever something I did til now. I don't find it overwhelming at all. A challenge to find things that match. Now thats fun.
3. If not - if you prefer to align your accessories - how often do you venture outside of matching, if ever?
I am very matchy matchy in my accessories. Red belt, earrings, bracelet etc. Or If I have on polka dots I wear polka dot earrings etc.
I prefer a non matchy-matchy on my outfits...less it's for a formal events...But I haven't done any RSVP lately! Blame it on the recession!! ;)
I have gone through phases in my life where I was mostly matchy or mostly complimentary. Lately, I try to be more complimentary as I agree that it is more visually interesting. And sometimes matchy makes me feel dated.
So if I find myself too matchy, I give the outfit a good, hard look. Do I look dated? Are there other things that increase the visual appeal of the outfit to make up for the matchiness? Can I switch a purse to make it better or is that just different for difference sake. If all those Qs get a satisfactory answer, then bring on the matchiness!
Although, I am not willing to have all three of my belt, shoes, and purse match except in some sort of neutral. two out of the three is fine, though.
Now that you mention it, I DO feel that I shouldn't match my shoes to my bag, not to mention belt. Or everything else, for that matter. It just feels too compulsive and old-fashioned, maybe even plain wrong. When I dress, I try to look at the bigger image, and if that looks right to me, I don't care if a have a million colours on and none of them matches.
I don't think it is necessary to match...but the look has to make sense....
I let the outfit dictate whether I match my accessories or not. I agree that the trend of late has steered away from matchy matchy, but as someone else said, sometimes it just makes sense. I am diverse in my styles, but sometimes I like a classic preppy Hampton look with the sweater set and pencil skirt. In this instance, I'm going to match my belt with my bag. I just HAVE to. Other times I use complementary accessories as opposed to matching. Then there are the days I get wild and crazy, (or current, as the case may be!) and match nothing at all and look fabulous.
I gotta say that I feel compelled to match my shoes and belt at least the same color. Like if I have brown shoes on I will wear of shade of brown for the belt (i.e. tan, dark brown, cognac etc) doesn't have to exactly match. If I have on black shoes I wear a black belt or anything that isn't brown (te he). That's the furthest I try to match things. But your right, not matchy matchy is so much more fun!
xoxo
J
www.talkprettytome.blogspot.com
Every time I hear about matchy-matchy, I think, "...huh? People actually DO that?" I try to keep things harmonious, but I generally prefer contrast to monochrome.
I don't generally mix neutral colors like black, navy, brown, and gray, but that's not to adhere to any kind of rules, that's just because I think it looks goofy.
I also don't really get the different-purse-for-every-outfit thing, because I've never considered a purse to be part of my outfit. I have one purse that gets the job done, so why do I need more?
What Karen T said- Let the outfit decide. I usually do match shoes and belt, but if it's a fun, colorful get-up, I'll be more creative.
Usually if my belt doesn't match my shoes, it's because I don't own something that would match- otherwise I'd wear it :)
I also agree with what the other Sharon said- I've never really considered my purse part of my outfit. Basically, I carry the same purse for a couple of months until I'm tired of it, then I'll swap for another.
I don't like any rules that dictate what you "should" and "should not" do. I do whatever I feel like!
I don't usually match my purse with my shoes because I have shoes of all colours and my "main" purse is grey. But I have, many times, matched 3 or even 4 accessories - shoes, belt, purse AND hat - in various shades of brown (with a LBD). I have even matched red shoes to a red belt. I like the way it looks, and that's that.
my purse only matches sometimes, and then unitentionally! your mom is so totally right, un-matching is so much more interesting and fun. i love not to match. i've been toeing the line lately to see how far i can NOT match, above and beyond the accessories. gold and silver, black and brown, navy and black, dots and stripes and paisleys all!
Hmmm, I like to match and to clash, depending on my mood. I feel liberated to do either, happily! I venture away from matching about 75 per cent of the time. I particularly love clashing patterns and colours. (Belts and scarves are especially fun.)
i love reto style and lots of that means matching shoes and belt and purse but that doesnt mean i do that all the time; it just makes sense to do it sometimes it really depends on the outfit as a whole. but i dont like the "you should you should not" rules of fashion. i think fashion is supposed to be fun and about experimentation! dont match or match do what you feel is best for you. i never look down to those that do or that dont follow rules its not about who has it "right" there really is no right way. what looks fab on one person doesnt on another so its just a personal thing i think but if the industry didnt make these 'rules' then there wouldnt be an industry
I never really thought of it as matching my shoes, purse, and belt. For one, I hardly ever wear belts. For another, I just always tried to match accessories to whatever the outfit was. I feel I get a more cohesive look that way. Of course, I did go through this phase where I intentionally didn't match ANYTHING. That was a bad time for me, fashion-wise. There's really only one code I follow: never mix black, brown, and navy blue. I know it's done now, but I've never liked it and I still don't do it, with the exception of one skirt I have that's a pattern with both black and brown in it.
I match when Im in the mood for it, sometimes I really dont want to match all three things because it can look too orderly, and i hate that. I love to complement the colors, like a color palette, I think thats key.
great post
[NOTE: I am writing this not having read the other comments.]
#1
Actually... I DO prefer to match my bag/shoes/belt when I can, but not necessarily with the typical black or brown. I do it most often with a really vibrant green, electric blue, or light brown (if there is enough contrast with the rest of the outfit so that it stands out). Whenever I go out like this (especially with the green), I tend to get a lot of compliments. I think people notice, though, because it is now contrary to the norm.
When I am not going all out matchy-matchy, I feel that my accessories have to match at least SOMETHING in my outfit. I might wear a red belt with black peeptoe shoes with my toenails painted red. Or, since I usually wear silver jewelry, a silver/grey purse can work really well with many different outfits. To take it a step further, since my jeans are actually just blue pants (I say from my soap box), I feel more polished wearing a blue (usually navy, but light blue works too) sweater or something on top to balance out the look. People probably wouldn't look at that and think about the fact that it "matches" because they still see jeans as neutral... but it works.
However, I do see most of the women around me NOT matching. But, when it works like that, it is never, for instance, dark brown shoes with a black bag (unless they have planned the outfit to make it work). Usually, I see brighter colors that "pop," and then the emphasis is on just ONE of the three (bag/belt/shoes) and not all of them at the same time. A classic example might be everything in black, and then, suddenly, red shoes. I wouldn't say that matching is "frowned upon," I just think it is not necessarily expected anymore. (In my personal opinion, sometimes people are successful in getting "not matching" to "work"... and sometimes they just aren't. Now that the floodgates are wide open, I have seen some crazy stuff, and that is not always a good thing... but, at least people have the "freedom" to choose.)
#2
If I felt like I was not "allowed" to match anything, EVER, I WOULD find it overwhelming. So, I make up my own rules, and that works for me. (If the opposite were true, if society told me I HAD to match, I would go the other way and bunk THAT system.)
Still, when dealing with colors, employing some rules (the rules they teach in art class regarding the color wheel, etc.) can be a good idea. It's just like with music. Sure, you CAN play whatever notes you want all at the same time, but certain combinations just sound nicer together. However, when plain old major chords get stale, you can throw in some extra notes to make the whole thing more interesting. (Even jazz, as free-form as it is, has rules.)
#3
For all my matchiness, I do sometimes do the "pop of color" thing with just one accessory. However, I have to be feeling PRETTY confident at the time. It is even rarer that I would do a bunch of completey unrelated colors at the same time. Unless there is something in the outfit to give the colors context, that just seems like a mess.
So, yes, I do almost always "match" whenever I possibly can, but I try to do it in an unconventional way, using non-typical colors, etc.
[Wow, this is a lot longer than I intended, but I have I feeling you won't mind.] :)
I don't wear a belt! So that doesn't bother me. Thumbelina Fashion has a great collection of belts -- I guess if I were to want to review anyone's matching policies, I'd start with her.
I sometimes match my bag with the shoes but not every day. I like it when colors repeat but not necessarily in the bag/the shoes.
Most of the times I'm a non matchy-matchy, but sometimes I feel great matching the things and less worried about, when I have to play for safety, do you know what I mean?
Sometimes also feel the pressure for not matching, because I think it's part of my style and it's supposed that I to do that, and those days, I can't function. Things must come to me spontein (?)
xoxo
1. I think I do often feel like matchymatchy is frowned upon, but I do sometimes get wistful over those outfits ladies wore in the 50s with everything just so.
2. I can definitely see just being allowed on thing or another I would go crazy.
3.If I wear a matchy outfit one day, the next I'll wear something completely in the opposite vein. Maybe I'm just fickle.
I'm not too fussed about perfectly matching belt/shoes/handbag, but I'm a lot more particular about matching metals. Necklaces and earrings have to be white or silver metal, never mixed. Ideally the hardware on my purse would match too unless the hardware isn't too noticeable, in which case it's okay.
I do prefer to match up, it takes a bit of the uncertainty out of it for me. I understand the concept of "it doesn't have to match, it has to go" (What Not to Wear), but I don't always "get" the things they say go together. It is liberating to know if I see a great pair of shoes say, I can make it work with more outfits than matchy-matchy dictates. It just takes confidence and knowledge. If you think about it, it's way more striking when someone walks by in an outfit that's not monochromatic, so I guess it's a good skill to develop.
I prefer the Stacy and Clinton approach (of What Not to Wear), which is "it doesn't match, it GOES with..."
Sometimes it is fun to match accessories, esp. when wearing unusual colors. I recently wore by orange belt and orange sandals and those were my matching pops of orange in the outfit.
S.
i don't think you should never not do something.. i'm fine with being matchy matchy for certain occasions.. and doing a mix on other days.. i've definitely matched a belt to shoes a time or two. sometimes i do shy away from doing contrasting bold colors.. i am all about my neutrals...
and my dear you are ADDED!! sorry it took me so long.. i'm terrible about linking
Hmm, I'm afraid I'm quite matchy-matchy, but I put that down to my neat freak personality. :) I love seeing people break the rules.
I never think about matching shoes/bag/belt.
I kind of gave up on any kind of matching as my current favorite pair of work shoes are purple sneakers and my current favorite work bag has batik elephants on it. It all goes in the mix.
I feel like it can go both ways. Sometimes my bag might match the shoes, sometimes it doesn't. I usually tend to go by feel and figure out what looks good. I often do match my belt to my shoes - but not always. I don't like to many hard-set rules when it comes to style.
1.I'm not so big on the matching thing anyway, but I also don't like switching purses unless I'm going somewhere fancy-pants. I guess I do tend to match my belt and shoes, but don't wear belts often. There are a lot of odd nuances to the rules I think I keep (I can wear say, a matte beat-up brown leather belt with patent leather black shoes, cannot wear same matte beat-up brown belt with patent brown shoes... I don't know why. I don't even know my own rules to follow until I see it on myself and think NO! THIS CANNOT BE DONE!)
2. I think it's nice that the old rules are allowed to be broken, so long as they still look good together.
3. Some days I love to matchy match, others not so much. I'm all over the map (as you know!)
1. I think it's frowned upon if you have unusually colored accessories - I think it would look silly to have a yellow patent belt and a yellow patent bag and yellow patent shoes, for example. But I think it's fine with neutrals
2. Liberating! It would be torture to try and track down matching accessories every time a cute purse caught your eye. Plus, what about things like green polka-dotted shoes? I don't WANT a green polka-dotted bag or belt.
3. Not applicable :)
Because I wear mostly neutrals when it comes to clothing, I tend to avoid them when it comes to accessories such as shoes and purses, which means that I rarely "match". Things can go together well without necessarily matching. I love using my accessories to add that pop or red or yellow or electric blue that a girl needs.
Hi there-I think matching and not matching work well in their own ways-it depends on your mood and outfit. I do both on different ocassions!
i don't really have an opinion either way, but when things accidentally match i think it's quite fun:) for example, i wore a grey dress and i had turqoise shoes, belt and cardigan. that wasn't accidental, though. but it was cute! oh, and i have a teal bag and hat that match, so i think it's fun to wear them toghether. maybe it's something about making the outfit look more controlled, and planned. i don't know;)
today in this world people dont match...so why should i?
My eye no longer likes strict matchy-matchy, but I do feel like a black bag worn with brown shoes still feels wrong. I think the contrast should be more intentional, like an orange bag with brown shoes. The two unmatched neutrals just seem accidental.
Does that make sense?
I was totally a matchy-matchy girl ten/fifteen years ago. But of course everything was black so it wasn't difficult.
Bad trend but hard to buck.
I used to believe in it in my bourjois suburban way and I remember going from work to a job interview, a job I really wanted - with black shoes and brown handbag. I was so self conscious about it I probably blew the interview. And did I mention it was with a bloke and for the wine industry? He probably couldnt have told you what color my hair was 5 minutes after I left, let alone my shoe/bag ratio.
xx
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