For decades, if not centuries, ladies have pondered on this incredibly important question, as let’s be honest, unless we are in the league of the super-rich, having matching shoes and handbags for every outfit is an indulgence that few of us can afford and even if we could, it would be a struggle to justify.
With that in mind and in the quest to find the answer to this elegant question, we asked some seriously stylish women their opinion…but do you agree?
When it comes to dressing stylishly, it’s all about confident self-expression. That means that if your handbag is red and your shoes are leopard and your skinny belt is coral…. and you absolutely LOVE it, then rock it proudly! That, to us, is style! As long as you are flattering your figure, wearing the proper items for your lifestyle and career and feeling confident in your choice and in your skin, you can create new style rules in your life! Bottom line, Style should be creative, expressive and fun. Go break the rules and write your own.
Shoes and handbags – they don’t have to match but they should “go”. Actually for real style, they shouldn’t match too closely. The easiest way to get this right is to forget the old, outdated rules – you can mix blacks and browns, metallic finishes, even patterns – but stick mostly with neutral colors and classic shapes. Don’t worry about matching precisely – you’ll still look chic and put-together. A lot depends on your age as well as what the catwalk is dictating.
Right now, the trend is back to matching as people did in the 80’s and that can be a very boss look. It’s not always easy to find pieces that coordinate so, the woman who scours the stores and boutiques to find the perfect purple bag, shoes and belt that all match is a true hunter worthy of respect.
Really anything goes nowadays but be careful either being too ‘matchy’ or your look being a ‘mish-mash’. There’s a fine line between eclectic and wacky.
You may want to match your shoes with your bag. Opinions vary, though. A few decades ago, that was a prevailing concept. Today, however, things have changed, although we do see many chic women follow that unwritten rule. So, it’s really up to you to choose to pair your shoes with your bag or not. If you want a piece of advice here, better keep either the shoes or bag neutral and amp up the other. It will add to a more glamorous look and make you look more elegant and stylish.
When trying to match your bag with your outfit, pay attention to the hardware (if any), such as metallic details. They should match, too. For example, you can’t shoes with silver buckles or bronze and sport a bag with golden hardware or copper studs respectively. Or wear a gold or rose gold necklace with a bag that has silver metallic shoulder straps. Although a lot has been said and written the last few years about whether we should match our bags with our shoes, there is nothing stopping us from letting bags and clothes work together to create that oh-so-special look. No matter what some people say, the finishing touch to up our style quotient to a higher level comes from a quality handbag.
So are you a serious ‘matchy’ or are you determined to be a serial ‘mixer’?
